The Chinese government says the number of people who traveled within the country during the year-end and New Year holiday was about 40 percent of the pre-pandemic level, amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

The domestic tourism market saw 52.71 million trips during the three-day holiday from Saturday to Monday.

That marked an increase of 0.4 percent from the same period a year earlier when strict COVID-19 restrictions were in place.

But this is only 43 percent of the level compared to four years ago, before the start of the pandemic.

The government is calling for the resumption of economic activity as it eased the restrictions last month.

Tiananmen Square and commercial facilities in the capital Beijing were bustling during the holiday period.

But tourism does not seem to have made a full recovery yet, as many people likely chose to visit nearby tourist spots rather than make cross-provincial trips.

A large number of people are expected to return to their hometowns around the seven-day Lunar New Year holidays from January 21.

In regional cities and rural areas where the medical system is under severe strain due to the spread of infections, staff at medical institutions are scrambling to secure drug supplies for patients.