Despite mounting diseases straining the health system and further roiling the economy, Chinese citizens, who had been isolated from the rest of the world for three years due to COVID-19 restrictions, rushed to travel sites on Tuesday in anticipation of the reopening of borders.

Since early 2020, China’s economy has been pummelling by zero-tolerance policies, such as closed borders and regular lockdowns. These policies helped spark last month’s largest public display of dissent on the mainland since President Xi Jinping took power in 2012.

His policy shift this month left the country of 1.4 billion people vulnerable to the virus, which has since spread with little resistance. However, according to Beijing’s records, there were no new COVID deaths reported for the six days leading up to Sunday, raising questions among health professionals and citizens.

Hospitals, according to doctors, have five to six times as many patients as usual, with the majority being old. The number of COVID infections and deaths in China is expected to reach at least one million in 2019.

Authorities are, however, dead set on eliminating any trace of their zero-COVID regulations. China’s National Health Commission said late on Monday that beginning on January 8, the country will no longer require inbound travellers to go into quarantine. This news was met with widespread celebration on Tuesday across Asian stock markets.

Ctrip data showed that within 30 minutes of the news, interest in common international vacation spots skyrocketed. Ctrip reported that the most popular Asian destinations were Macau, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, and South Korea.

Searches for flights to Thailand, Japan, and South Korea spiked seven-fold within 15 minutes of the news, according to data from a different portal called Qunar. The health authority said that as of January 8th, COVID management in China would be lowered from the present top-level Category A to the less stringent Category B due to the virus’s decreased virulence.

Because of this shift, local governments won’t have to shut down areas and confine patients and their close connections.

While the prospect of life in China pre-COVID is exciting, the country’s healthcare system is under strain as doctors note that many hospitals are full and funeral home employees report an increase in business.

State media reports that rural villages have rehired nurses and doctors despite the fact that sick and retired medical professionals have also been urged to return to work. There has been a shortage of anti-fever medications in some cities.

Look at all the funeral homes in different towns. People in the eastern Shandong province have been griping on social media about the lengthy wait times required to obtain a cremation.