‘Bubble’ Cities Might Slowly Reopen Air Travel in Asia

 

Some Asian governments that have had a decreasing number of coronavirus cases are considering permitting travel to some cities.

Experts predict that "bubbles," where travel is permitted, will form while restrictions¹ continue in places where infection numbers remain high.

The number of new cases of COVID-19, the disease the virus causes, has eased in much of the Pacific area. Australia, Hong Kong, Macau, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, mainland China and Vietnam have reported low levels of infection in the past month.

In an effort to cut off the spread of the virus, many Asian governments have banned foreign nationals -- with a few exceptions. Local people and foreign permit holders² must spend 14 days in quarantine after each entry.

Experts say so-called calling country-to-country bubbles could help the air travel and tourism industries. Trade related to travel has been hit hard since the coronavirus spread outside of China.

The industry group World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that as many as 49 million jobs related to travel are at risk in the Asia-Pacific area.

Rajiv Biswas is an Asia-Pacific economist³ for the company IHS Markit. He said, "It's very much an issue about how to reopen travel and not only for tourism but also for business, because business travelers also cannot travel."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern have met to discuss the issue. Australian media reported that the two leaders talked about establishing a quarantine-free travel area for their countries.

Biswas said such a move could be a sign of things to come for other countries with low virus infection rates.

No other governments appear to have had official talks on the idea.

But Biswas suggests that Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China and Taiwan could be next to consider the idea.

A Hong Kong Executive Council member suggested this month that the territory could form a bubble with Macau.

Chiu Cheng-hsun is deputy director of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital near Taipei. He said Taiwan could consider opening travel from "low-risk" countries and not require visitors to quarantine for 14 days. Visitors could instead take their body temperatures each day and report any signs of health problems to travel agencies.

Chiu suggested that travelers from "moderate-risk" or "high-risk" countries could come back, too. These visitors would be required to quarantine for seven to 14 days.

"Taiwan can open up to accept international tourists, but it needs to manage them," Chiu said. He said the island should welcome everyone in an effort to help its economy.

A spokesperson for the foreign ministry⁴ suggested that any decision to reopen travel would come from the government's Central Epidemic⁵ Command Center.

Taiwan has not had locally spread cases of the virus in about one month. The island had a total of about 440 infections and seven deaths.

Also in the area, Vietnam has reported fewer than 300 infections and no deaths. Hong Kong has confirmed a little over 1,000 cases. Nearly all have recovered.

I'm Mario Ritter Jr.

Words in This Story

quarantine –n. to be held for a period of time away from others to prevent the spread of an infectious disease

tourism –n. travel for the purpose of pleasure rather than business

manage –v. to supervise, to have control over something like business or work

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。