There have been tons of reinfections with Omicron--everyone getting it won't end it.

I think I saw an article in NYT about COVID reinfections.

Most Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Shanghai are closed, or not accepting new guests. Called JW Marriott Tomorrow Square and got confirmation that they will allow me to check in when I am released. Then next day government issued an order to close the neighborhood, thus deny new guests.

This things change daily, and I am not worried about it until my release. I am pretty sure that I can find a hotel to stay.

At least I can continue to stay at my Q hotel. Excellent views. So-so meals but I won't be hungry.

In fact, after 14 days no more PCR tests are needed at Q hotel, unlike regular hotels.

It's only 450RMB a day, all inclusive. Normally such corner room with river view would cost 2000 RMB.

I only want to stay in Shanghai for few days to visit in-laws.

Then I'll go to a low risk area to erase my Shanghai record when Shanghai resumes some domestic flights.

I'll be a freeman after that. Plenty of places to visit in China without Q.

I think that Hangzhou is always good to visit. I also spent a summer in Yantai once, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

How long will be in in China on this trip?

Don't go to Wuhan in the summer. It's too hot! ("the oven of China")

When you go to the low risk area to erase Shanghai from your code you’ll also be put into quarantine for 14-21 days depending on the official because you’re coming from Shanghai. I think the only way out of this would be to go directly from Q hotel to another city. Then you may only have 7 days quarantine on arrival.

I believe there was a FTer in this thread who went through this on his return to Handan.

Will return to USA in early September. So I have about 3 months of free time, excluding 1 month Q.

Oh. Wouldn't that be fascinating :D

With plenty of time to kill in my Q room, I studied quarantine policy of more than 100 cities. Most of them require 14-21 days for anyone from Shanghai.

However, Chengdu only requires 7. The challenge is to find a ticket to Chengdu. As of today, there is zero flight or train from Shanghai to Chengdu. So direct route from Q hotel to PVG/SHA or train station doesn't work.

I saw an ad in WeChat offering 50K RMB to smugger me to Chengdu, and give me a clean record without any star. I figure it's probably a black car to pick me up from Q hotel and send me to nearby cities like Ningbo or Hangzhou or Wuxi, then take a flight to Chengdu. They have connections to the government and the car should have special permission to pass all sort of inspection stations on highways. They will give me a new SIM card showing 行程卡 without Shanghai record. They promise I will be a free man upon landing in Chengdu.

I feel that I would rather save 50K RMB for something else. I can use some IQ and planning to be a freeman in Chengdu after only 7 days of Q. There is no rush to get to Chengdu now.

Also, I am cautiously optimistic that situation in Shanghai will improve after my release date of May 23. There should be some flights to Chengdu by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, it's good to see the lockdown in Shanghai and to witness the history. An excellent life experience.

Yes, so excellent that I decided to leave end of April. Truly a wonderful thing to experience 😂

You know, bro, everyone has different perspectives.

I visited Shanghai in 1972 for the first time. I also attended college there. Shanghai is almost like hometown to me.

I believe that even in 1937 when the Japanese invaded and 1949 when the PLA took over, Shanghai was never locked down.

While I am not a historian, but I do appreciate the opportunity to witness history in Shanghai in 2022.

When almost every friend is against this trip, there is a sense of accomplishment for me to go. I am confident that I will have fun.

this is proper flyertalk spirit - have a good trip!

The key word is "almost". Perspective is a lot different if you're a local and not a foreigner, and your freedom to travel can be taken away.

(I'm not beating up China specifically here - Australia did this too 2020-2021)

Since when was travel a right? Most people don't seem to understand that unless they have legal reasons, such as citizenship in another country, travel is not guaranteed. In extraordinary situations, such as a global pandemic with no vaccines, I think banning people from leaving the country is even appropriate.

Leaving a country is in the ICCPR
https://www.ag.gov.au/rights-and-pro...ng%20his%20own.

Subject to national security, public order, public health (see below), morals or the rights and freedoms of others https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments...litical-rights

Being admitted to another country is not guaranteed except when one is a citizen.

Also in HK Basic Law (Article 31 https://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclaw/chapter3.html)

In my previous posts re Australia ban, I did say Australian government's position is justified on the grounds that whoever they let out, they will have to take back. CPG's restrictions can be similarly justified.

However Australian government's ability to sustain such a ban is a lot less than the CPG - for instance, Australia's ban was challenged in the courts and the court required government to continually assess the reasonability and proportionality of the ban https://www.hrlc.org.au/human-rights...id-19-pandemic .

This one:

How Often Can You Be Infected With the Coronavirus?

The spread of the Omicron variant has given scientists an unsettling answer: repeatedly, sometimes within months.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/16/h...infection.html

Scariest part: