Meaning:
This term is short for “原地过年的人” (yuándì guònián de rén; meaning “people who stay where they work during the Chinese New Year, instead of returning to their hometown for a family reunion”). To reduce large-scale human traffic flows during the Chinese New Year holiday as an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, all levels of Chinese governments have encouraged workers to enjoy a staycation.
Example:
A: 今年过年你回老家吗？
Jīnnián guònián nǐ huí lǎojiā ma？
Are you going back to your hometown during the Chinese New Year?
B: 不回了，我也做个原年人。
Bù huí le，wǒ yě zuò gè yuánniánrén。
No. I’ll stay in the city where I work.