After Entry Restrictions, 9,000 Fewer Arrivals from China Over Ten Days (Update)

On the 13th, when Hong Kong and Macau were designated as COVID-19 contaminated areas and special entry procedures for Hong Kong and Macau began, passengers from Hong Kong flights lined up at Incheon International Airport in Jung-gu, Incheon to install the 'Self-Diagnosis App.' / Yeongjongdo = Photo by Airport Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The government, aiming to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), has restricted the entry of foreigners from high-risk areas since the 4th, and it has been confirmed that the number of arrivals from China decreased by about 9,000 over ten days.

Kim Kang-rip, Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, stated at a regular briefing on the 14th, "Since the entry restriction measures implemented on the 4th, overall arrivals from China have continued to decline," adding, "As of the 3rd, about 13,000 people entered the country daily from China, but by the 13th, the number had decreased to 3,975." In Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, which temporarily suspended the 'visa-free entry system' allowing entry without a passport, no foreigners entered Jeju without a visa after the 4th.

According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of arrivals through Jeju Island from the 1st to the 11th was 8,669, a 73.6% decrease compared to 32,896 during the same period last year. Deputy Head Kim added, "Flight operations also decreased by about 76% as of the third week of February compared to early January."

Meanwhile, since midnight on the 12th, Hong Kong and Macau have been included in the special entry procedure areas, and the number of arrivals through these areas decreased from 5,427 on the 12th to 4,936 on the 13th. The special entry procedure involves opening a separate entry gate exclusively for China and allowing entry only after directly verifying the domestic residence and actual contact information of all domestic and foreign nationals entering from China. Previously, the special entry procedure was applied to all arrivals from China, but Hong Kong and Macau were excluded.

As part of the special entry procedure, a mobile 'self-diagnosis application' was distributed to monitor the health status of domestic and foreign nationals, and as of midnight on the 13th, a total of 3,987 people had downloaded it. Special entrants who install the self-diagnosis app are required to input once daily for up to 14 days after entry whether they exhibit symptoms suspicious of infection, such as fever, cough, or sore throat, through the app's self-diagnosis function.

Deputy Head Kim said, "We will strengthen promotion of the self-management app through banners and notices at each airport and advance guidance from airlines so that entrants can voluntarily monitor their health status."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.