Quarantine of Koreans Continues Across China... "Isolation Even After Negative Test"

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] As local governments across China strengthen controls to prevent the re-importation of COVID-19, quarantine measures for Koreans in China continue.

◆China continues quarantining Koreans... 53 additional people quarantined in one day= According to the Korean Embassy in China on the 1st, from noon the previous day to noon on the 1st, 53 additional Koreans were identified as being placed under quarantine across various regions in China. All 53 were quarantined in designated hotels due to a fellow passenger on the same flight showing fever symptoms, and they are currently awaiting COVID-19 test results.

In Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 28 Korean passengers on China Eastern Airlines and Asiana Airlines are quarantined in a hotel due to fever symptoms in three passengers on the same flight (two Chinese and one Korean). In Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, among seven Korean passengers on Asiana and China Southern Airlines, two Koreans showed fever symptoms, leading to all seven Koreans being quarantined in a designated hotel. In Weihai, Shandong Province, 18 Koreans on a Jeju Air flight were quarantined in a hotel due to fever symptoms in three Chinese passengers on the same flight. If the fever patients test negative for COVID-19, all will return home for self-quarantine.

In some regions, designated quarantine is being enforced even after negative COVID-19 test results. According to the Korean COVID-19 Emergency Response Committee in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, on the 1st, among 195 Koreans who entered using Asiana Airlines on the 28th of last month, 18 people from or who visited Daegu and Gyeongbuk were placed in designated accommodations by local authorities. Although all passengers tested negative, Shenzhen authorities separated those from or who visited Daegu and Gyeongbuk and quarantined them in accommodations.

Among about 90 Koreans on Asiana Airlines flight OZ359 from Incheon to Hangzhou on the 28th of last month, about 50 were quarantined in hotels designated by local governments of their residence, and the Shanghai Consulate General is currently verifying the exact number and circumstances.

On the same day, in Beijing's Shunyi District, controversy arose when a Korean resident classified as a self-quarantine candidate after testing negative for COVID-19 was unable to return home due to refusal by the local residents' committee. After receiving this report, the Embassy's incident team strongly protested to the residents' committee, pointing out that such measures were excessive and against Beijing city regulations. After negotiations, the residents' committee changed its stance around 1 a.m. to accept the self-quarantine policy.

Chongqing City decided to implement designated quarantine for all international passengers regardless of fever starting from the 1st. Passengers on Air China flight CA440 arriving from Incheon to Chongqing at 6:55 p.m. on the same day were scheduled to be quarantined in hotels designated by Chongqing authorities for 14 days. However, the Chengdu Consulate General negotiated with Chongqing authorities and agreed that if passengers test negative after moving to the hotel, they can proceed with self-quarantine. Accordingly, all international passengers arriving in Chongqing will be transported by designated vehicles to designated hotels for nucleic acid testing. If the test result is negative, they can self-quarantine at their residence for 14 days. Xi'an City in Shaanxi Province also announced that from this day, designated quarantine will be enforced for all arrivals from high-risk COVID-19 regions such as Korea and Japan.

Meanwhile, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines flights from Korea to Hangzhou will be suspended until the end of March. Air China is also expected to suspend operations until the 15th.

◆China, COVID-19 spread calming down except Hubei Province= On the 29th of last month, China reported 35 new COVID-19 deaths and 573 new confirmed cases in one day.

On the 1st, the National Health Commission of China (NHC) announced that as of midnight, there were 573 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in China. Of these, 570 cases were in Hubei Province, known as the origin of COVID-19, leaving only 3 new cases outside Hubei. Within Hubei, Wuhan City reported the highest number of new confirmed cases (565).

There were 35 new deaths from COVID-19 in one day, most of which (34) were in Hubei Province. Outside Hubei, only one death was reported in Henan Province. The number of newly registered suspected cases was 132.

So far, a total of 79,824 people in China have been confirmed with COVID-19. Among them, 41,625 have recovered and been discharged, and 2,870 have died. Currently, 35,329 confirmed patients are receiving hospital treatment. Of these, 7,365 are classified as severe cases.

The current number of suspected cases is 851, and the cumulative number of close contacts is 660,716. Among them, 51,856 are under medical observation.

Outside mainland China, in the Greater China region, a total of 144 confirmed cases have been reported: 95 in Hong Kong (33 discharged, 2 deaths), 10 in Macau (8 discharged), and 39 in Taiwan (9 discharged, 1 death).

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