Updated: Thursday, August 13, 12:00PM local time

This article was getting quite long, so we have split it into three: this one with Chinese government and business updates, one with Covid-19 news and health information and one with travel information — borders, flights, embassy information etcetera. We hope this is helpful in finding the information you need.

These articles will be updated live — see date and time above — with verified news from trusted and official sources regarding the Coronavirus situation and how it impacts the lives of people living or travelling in Kunming and the rest of Yunnan. A lot of misinformation has been spread through WeChat groups and we hope that this article can provide a stable reference point.

We are working with a small team of news gatherers and verifiers, both foreign and Chinese. We are checking Chinese government information, national and international news sources, social media, academic resources and information from a couple of foreign embassies in China.

Below information is organized by topic which you can quickly access through the menu above. We will update the publishing date and time of this article as it is updated, so you will know how old the information in the article is.

If you have important news please email vera [at] gokunming [dot] com or contact us through the contact form. After verification it will be added to the article if relevant for Kunming and Yunnan residents.

Hotline phone numbers

Kunming has established hotlines in several languages for epidemic response. If there is any confusion about the application of the rules, try contacting them:

Mayor hotline：0871-12345
Kunming Municipal Health Commission：0871-63967196

Foreign language hotlines
English：13668707810 / 18988476143
Thai: 13658875900
Vietnamese：13013307806
Burmese：15911676868
Lao: 15198457760
Cambodian：15587219064

Chinese government advice

April 15 update: Foreigners are advised to strictly abide by official rules and regulations aimed at containing the virus. Failing to do so could ultimately result in a ten-year ban on travel to China. The guidelines have been translated to French, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Spanish and can be found here, scan the QR codes for the multiple foreign language versions.

On Saturday April 4 at 10:00AM a three-minute moment of national mourning will be observed across the country. Please respect this and join in keeping the silence in memory of the deceased.

Friday March 20 update: Foreigners might face more scrutiny from the authorities. Please be sure to carry your documents — passport, registration slip — with you at all times when out and about, wear a mask and comply with their instructions. Carrying your passport was already required by law, but it was rarely checked until now. Please report to us if you are stopped by the police or are refused entry anywhere: via the contact form or email vera [at] gokunming [dot] com. You can also call the phone numbers below if you have any questions.

Closed businesses and institutions

The national Spring Festival holiday dates have been extended (Source: The official Weibo account of Yunnan Province).

Government services, utilities, necessities such as supermarkets, food production and delivery services have resumed on Monday, February 3

Schools

Thursday August 13 update: Some Chinese training schools can no longer give out student visas, to new students or students that were already registered with them. Universities can still give out student visas. TenWest is affiliated with a university and can issue visas. Keats school can also extend current visas and organize visas for new students who are already in China. Please note that schools only accept serious full-time students who are sincere about continuing their Chinese studies in Kunming.

Wednesday April 15 update: An announcement has been made about the start of Spring semester. The opening dates are planned as follows — considering the school meets the requirements, which will be evaluated case-by-case:

April 20: Ordinary middle schools and vocational schools will reopen.

April 26: the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades of elementary school will reopen.

May 6: The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade of primary school will reopen.

May 6: Graduate classes of colleges and universities will start again.

May 11: Non-graduate classes of colleges and universities will start again.

Pre-school and special education schools will be notified separately about starting dates.

March 28 update: the scheduled start for elementary school and non-graduate middle school on March 30 has been postponed. The new start date is pending until notification from the education department..

March 11 update: Schools will gradually resume classes

On March 16, teachers and staff who meet the requirements of returning to school will to work to prepare for teaching and ensure that epidemic prevention and control measures are in place.

On March 23: Zhongsan (中三) junior high third grade and gaosan (高三 ) senior high third grade resume classes.

On March 30: Primary and remaining high school levels resume classes.

Institutions of higher learning and secondary vocational schools start school according to relevant requirements.

About one week after the opening of colleges and universities, kindergartens and special education schools will open.

The specific opening times will be communicated separately and in batches. All schools (including training schools) are not allowed to start school on their own before receiving the formal notice.

Entertainment

Wednesday May 20 update: As of today, large gatherings with catering are now allowed, with measurements in place such as registration of attendees and checking attendees' Yunnan green health codes.

Tuesday April 7 update: We have received reports from several cafe and restaurant owners that customers have not been complying with them and that this may have serious consequences for them — meaning (temporary) closure. Restaurants and cafes have recently reopened, but please understand that there are still certain measures in place and that foreigners are facing extra scrutiny. The consequences for the businesses that we love can be serious if we wear no masks, make a lot of noise, stay beyond closing time or are disrespectful towards (police) officials. Some businesses have received warnings already. Everyone, have a good time but please maintain a level of understanding for the situation, listen to business owners and comply with their requests. We are not back to normal yet and we have to be at our best behaviour as guests in this country.

Friday April 3 update: Live music performances have been suspended for the time being.

Saturday March 28 update: China Film Bureau has ordered all movie theatres to remain closed for now, and all that have reopened to close again.

Thursday March 19 update: As of today all 'social service enterprises' — apart from clubs, KTVs, spa's, beauty salons and swimming pools — may open. Bars, museums, libraries, cinemas, theaters, chess and card rooms can open again, considering they use preventative measures such as 1 meter distance between customers and operate at half capacity.

Please see this article for restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs and museums that are opening again.

Most bars, clubs and cafes in Kunming have closed although some are opening again, sometimes with limited hours. Most of them have closed on their own accord and/or because of Spring Festival. Some have been closed by official order. More info on closing times of Kunming businesses in this article, including updates in the comments below the article.

Shopping

Friday April 3 update: delivery can once again be delivered to your door, and no longer needs to be picked up from the gate of your community.

Supermarkets and shops — and services like water delivery — are open again after Spring Festival closure and generally restocked with fresh produce.

Meituan and other delivery services are operational and are coming into the communities again.

Jingdong Home Delivery (京东到家) can also be used to deliver groceries from Walmart and Carrefour, but the delivery time can be several hours.

Food delivery services have taken preventative measures to avoid spreading contamination

Thank you

Thank you everyone in the international community in Kunming for sticking together in this difficult time. A special thanks to our Chinese friends who are helping to make Chinese news accessible and therefor being a true bridge between cultures.

In order to stem hearsay and fake news no comments will be open for this article.

If you have important news please email vera [at] gokunming [dot] com or contact us through the contact form. After verification it will be added to the article if relevant for Kunming and Yunnan residents.

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