S. Korea requires COVID19 testing for arrivals from China

South Korea started requiring COVID-19 testing for arrivals from China on Monday, 2nd of January, with such measures causing confusion and inconvenience at Incheon International Airport, the gateway to South Korea, throughout the day.

Under the new restrictions that were announced only three days ago. All arrivals from China are obliged to undergo a COVID19 PCR test within the first day of their entry to South Korea.

All arrivals must also remain in separate facilities here until their test results are confirmed, while South Korean nationals and foreigners with residency status returning here from visiting China have to quarantine at their residence after a PCR test.

As of 5 p.m., 13 people coming from China had tested positive for COVID19, according to health authorities. All of them were asymptomatic.

Beginning Monday morning, Incheon airport authorities handed out red name tags to all short-term visitors from China to identify them from travelers from other countries.

Soldiers wearing blue protective clothing then escorted them to the PCR testing center located at Terminal 1. As there was no separated route for them, some travelers arriving from Singapore were mistakenly given the red name tags after standing in wrong lines.

Government authorities, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Jee Young-mee, conducted an on-site inspection of how the new measure was being carried out.

The officials visited areas designated for travelers taking PCR tests and waiting for the results and inspected anti-virus measures at the scene, according to Han’s office.

Editor Miso