Government hopes holiday spending will help struggling economy but concerns linger about spreading infections
SINGAPORE—Chinese authorities delivered mixed messages ahead of the first Lunar New Year holiday since the country emerged from its yearslong zero-Covid slumber, encouraging people to travel home while also warning against gatherings that could exacerbate an Omicron exit wave.
The pandemic has spoiled the country’s biggest holiday the past three years as the government imposed strict quarantine and testing rules in a bid to stop Covid-19 from spreading. Chinese leader Xi Jinping scrapped zero-Covid measures abruptly in December in part because of concerns about the economy, which expanded at just 3% in 2022 after lockdowns hammered households and businesses.
