Blame the virus, don't blame tourists: China Daily contributor

Tourists go through pre-departure formalities at the Sanya Phoenix airport as stranded holidaymakers prepare to leave the Covid-hit resort city of Sanya on Hainan Island on Aug 9, 2022. - AFP

BEIJING (China Daily/Asia News Network): The Chinese mainland reported 350 new locally confirmed Covid-19 cases and 478 asymptomatic ones on Tuesday (Aug 9) morning.

Of these, 300 cases were reported in the southernmost Hainan province. Tourism on the island, famous for its beaches and seafood, is bearing the brunt of the latest outbreak, as over 80,000 tourists are having to undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine in its tourism city Sanya alone.