You Now Need to Quarantine for 21 Days in Guangzhou

By Ryan Gandolfo, September 27, 2021

With the Canton Fair approaching, Guangzhou has tightened up its COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

All overseas arrivals are now subject to a 21-day quarantine at designated isolation centers.

A statement announcing the new quarantine rules also says that anyone who has been to a COVID-19 medium or high-risk area would need to complete a 14-day quarantine at an isolation center.

Global Times reports that the new quarantine rules will last until October 20 – one week after the 130th Canton Fair kicks off.

This fall is the first time that the fair will resume in-person events since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overseas arrivals to Guangzhou were previously required to quarantine 14 days at a designated isolation center along with a home quarantine for an additional seven days.

Hazza Harding, a media professional based in Guangzhou, is one of the first overseas arrivals undergoing extended quarantine in the provincial capital.

“I think for countries that are aiming for zero-COVID, longer quarantine times make sense. There have been examples of people testing positive for COVID-19 after completing 14 days of hotel quarantine, so if it prevents that in the future, then I am happy to sacrifice seven extra days to avoid lockdowns and outbreaks,” Harding tells us after recently returning from Australia.

He does note that the extended quarantine time feels more tiring mentally, especially not knowing which hotel he’d be designated.

Guangzhou is close to opening a 5,000-room ‘international health center’ in Baiyun district for quarantine purposes. The massive complex is expected to open by the end of September.

“Before I came home, I was hoping that I might be quarantined in the new facility in Baiyun because at least it would have been something a little different, but I feel pretty lucky with the hotel I was allocated, and so far I've settled in well.”

Harding says that while it’s not an ideal situation, quarantine does offer him some time to slow things down, do some exercise and catch up on reading books – a silver lining in our ‘new normal.’

[Cover image via Pixabay]