Long queue for divorce as scores of couples call it quits after staying together for days during coronavirus quarantine

Scores of couples in China have filed for divorce immediately after coming out of quarantine

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, people had to stay home. For over a month, most Chinese hardly stepped out of their homes, as advised by the government, to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

This forced time together seems to have tested some marriages as many couples are now waiting on a long queue for a divorce.

News about the long wait for couples getting a divorce in Xi’an, China, has become a hot topic on Chinese social media platform, Weibo.

According to the provincial Registrar of Marriage, appointments for divorce were all fully booked.

“And now, the public need to wait for nearly three weeks for their turn to submit the applications,” said an officer of the bureau.

He said all appointments at the bureau’s 17 offices were taken up since they reopened for operations on March 2, after a long break in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

In Dazhou city of southwestern Sichuan province, offices of the Registrar of Marriage were also loaded with divorce application forms.

The bureau’s chief for Tongchuan district, Dai Shijun, said that up till Wednesday last week, they had processed 122 marriage applications and 88 divorce applications since opening its doors recently.

“We handled 15 divorce cases on Monday and 16 on Tuesday.

“Those who made appointments for divorce are more than those who want to get married,” he told Tongchuan Evening News last week.

Dai said there were over 100 couples waiting in line for a divorce.

He said conflicts and disagreements between couples became more obvious when they spent too much time together.

One Weibo user revealed that being in the same space with her husband 24/7 made his flaws more noticeable. She said simple things like who should cook or wash the dishes could lead to a big fight between her and her husband.

Another Weibo user wrote that she could not stand her husband, who behaved like an emperor at home.

She wrote: “Before the outbreak, I could understand that he was very busy at work and neglected the family but now he is so free and yet, he is not helping out with a little housework or taking care of our child.”

She complained that her husband woke up late in the day, had lunch and then fiddled with his cellphone.