Beijing to issue e-vouchers to residents for Spring Festival

Beijing will issue e-vouchers worth 40 million yuan ($6.2 million) to residents who answer the government's call to stay put during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, local authorities said on Tuesday.

The Spring Festival, which falls on Feb 12 this year, usually sees hundreds of millions of Chinese head to their hometowns for family reunions. But this year, the capital city has advised its residents to avoid unnecessary travel due to the COVID-19.

The Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau said on Tuesday that the vouchers will be issued via four online shopping platforms, including JD.com and Suning, and two food delivery platforms, Meituan and Ele.me, from Feb 12 to 16.

Beijing has reported no new local COVID-19 infections since Jan 30, with the recent COVID-19 rebound generally contained in the city. Currently, all areas in Beijing are low-risk areas for COVID-19 infections.