China cancels Everest attempts due to Covid

China has decided to cancel all climbing activities on Mount Everest amid fears of possible imported cases of COVID-19, China’s General Administration of Sport confirmed in a notice released on Friday.

According to Himalayan Expedition, the only expedition organizer on the north side this season, all climbers have been resting in Tingri County for the past few days, and the company will not make another attempt to ascend.

China had issued permits to 38 people, all Chinese citizens, to climb the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) -high mountain this spring. Nepal has given permission to 408 people. Climbing was not allowed from either side last year because of the pandemic.

China earlier said it would set up a separation line at the peak and prohibit people on its side from coming into contact with anyone on the Nepalese side. It was unclear how that would be done.

On the Nepalese side, the first summits were reached on May 7th and there have been over 100 more since then.