Divorce rates in China have soared because “couples are spending too much time together” during coronavirus quarantine, according to register offices across the country.
The divorce rate [in the district] has soared compared to before [the coronavirus outbreak],’ Lu Shijun, the manager of a marriage registry in Dazhou, told the local press earlier this month.
At one small registry office used to dealing with a handful of divorce cases at a time, over 300 couples have scheduled appointments to file for divorce, said Lu Shijun.
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Officials believe the sharp increase of divorce requests could be caused by the fact that partners have spent too much time in close quarters under quarantine.
‘Young people are spending a lot of time at home. They tend to get into heated arguments because of something petty and rush into getting a divorce,’ Mr Lu explained.
DailyMail report: Another factor could be a result of delayed applications due to the council offices closing for nearly a month during the coronavirus epidemic.
Marriage registration offices in Xi’an of Shaanxi Province in north-western China have also seen an unprecedented rise of divorce appointments since re-opening on March 1, according to reports.
One district office received 14 requests in one day, hitting the upper limit set by the local council, a registration officer told Global Times.
Officials in Fuzhou, Fujian Province of southern China, have adjusted the number of divorce appointments to 10 couples a day after receiving an overwhelming amount of requests.
Scientists have been debating about whether spending time in close quarters is beneficial for couples.
Cities around China ordered their citizens to self-isolate for over a month to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Baxter Dmitry
Email: baxter@thepeoplesvoice.tv