Bridge Scuffle Shows Residents of Virus-Epicenter Hubei Unwelcome in Neighboring Jiangxi City

What’s new: A major scuffle between police in virus-embattled Hubei province and adjacent Jiangxi province broke out on a bridge connecting the two across the Yangzte River on March 27.

The incident occurred just two days after Hubei, where the global Covid-19 outbreak began, reopened its borders and allowed most residents to leave the province after a two-month lockdown to contain the epidemic.

It occurred against a backdrop of shifting rules imposed by the Jiangxi side before letting Hubei residents cross, including requiring people to show health passes and at times get out of buses and walk across parts of the 4.5-kilometer-long bridge. The situation was resolved after agreement was reached between the two sides on crossing procedures.

Background: Many residents of Hubei have been largely confined to their homes for the last two months, and greeted the end of their lockdown, including freedom to travel outside the province, with excitement when it was announced last week.

But many other parts of China remain wary of Hubei residents due to the province’s status as origin and epicenter of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Travel across the bridge was common before the lockdown, in part due to the location of a major regional train station on the Jiangxi side.

Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use. To read the full announcement in Chinese, click here.

Related: Hubei’s Months of Lockdown to End as Virus Risk Recedes

Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)