'They've been on house arrest for 3 years': Caller demands compassion for travellers from China

29 December 2022, 15:13

By Grace Parsons

LBC caller feels we should be more relaxed on people travelling from China because they've experienced 'a lockdown like no one else'.

In light of countries such as Italy and the United States announcing new Covid-19 testing requirements for all people coming from China, this caller demands that we have some compassion for these travellers.

The increase in cases across China follows the rollback of the nation’s strict anti-virus controls. China’s “zero Covid” policies had kept China’s infection rate low but fuelled public frustration and crushed economic growth.

The caller told Shelagh Fogarty: "We need to appreciate who is on these flights, these are people that have been practically on house arrest for 3 years."

Shortly following the announcement that travel restrictions in China would be lifted, travel agencies reported a spike in plane ticket sales.

The caller expressed sympathy for residents of China: "They've really experienced a lockdown that none of us in this country have."

However, Shelagh countered: "We all went through a period where our lives were very limited and we had to when we did get the chance to travel, prove an awful lot."

"Quite clearly the majority of people on these planes are people who haven't seen their family for years.

The point is that people that don't have family members in other countries don't appreciate that these are people that want to see their family," the caller argued, defending their right to travel.

Shelagh justified the government's reservations: "I think it's legitimate to ask questions about one of the most secretive countries on the planet and what it should be telling us and isn't telling us about Covid."