How China’s Covid-19 travel restrictions gave a big boost to online services during Lunar New Year

AdvertisementCoronavirus pandemicTechTech TrendsHow China’s Covid-19 travel restrictions gave a big boost to online services during Lunar New YearMobile internet traffic during the Lunar New

Year holiday week grew 23.4 per cent year on year, according to data from MIITFood was an increasingly popular gift ordered online, according to the country’s top on-demand food delivery

services Meituan and Alibaba’s Ele.meReading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMP1Iris DengPublished: 5:00am, 24 Feb 2021Updated: 5:52am, 24 Feb 2021 Travel restrictions during the Lunar New

Year did not stop Chinese people from engaging in many of the traditional festivities associated with the holiday, but they ended up doing most of them online after the government

encouraged people to stay put during the week-long break to avoid a resurgence of Covid-19.

Advertisement Mobile internet traffic during the Lunar New Year holiday week, which ran from February 11-17 in mainland China, grew 23.4 per cent compared with the same holiday period last

year, according to data issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Sunday.

“The model of greeting, entertainment and consumption during this Spring Festival has continued to move online under the government’s advocacy for a stay-at-home holiday,” the MIIT said in a

report. “Remote celebrations, digital red packets and online shopping for holiday gifts have been the new trends that drove the rapid growth of internet traffic.”

The Chinese government had urged the public to avoid travelling for family reunions during the holiday, prompting many local governments to impose strict control measures amid a resurgence

of Covid-19 infections in some parts of the country. The authorities had called on internet companies to provide online services to meet demand for holiday celebrations and entertainment.

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Coronavirus in China: Celebrating Lunar New Year away from home

Coronavirus in China: Celebrating Lunar New Year away from home When the coronavirus outbreak hit China hard in the Spring Festival period last year, the government ordered lockdowns for

most parts of the country, which halted offline businesses such as restaurants and factories, which in turn paralysed the offline logistics system as couriers were unable to deliver parcels

and food.

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