New Zealand "Korean and Italian Travelers Must Self-Quarantine for 14 Days"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The New Zealand government announced that it will impose a 14-day self-quarantine on travelers coming from South Korea and the northern region of Italy in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

According to foreign media such as the British daily The Guardian, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting on the 2nd that they decided to expand travel restrictions as a measure against the COVID-19 situation. People arriving from South Korea and the northern region of Italy, where many infections have been reported, must register with health authorities immediately upon arrival in New Zealand and "self-quarantine for 14 days." Additionally, the cabinet decided to extend travel restrictions for another 7 days, including provisional entry bans or mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers coming from China and Iran, as well as passengers of the cruise ship 'Diamond Princess' that had called at Japan.

She also explained that people coming from these regions must fill out forms so that health officials can contact them to verify whether they are conducting self-quarantine. She emphasized, "This is a balanced preventive measure," and "We know well that self-quarantine is effective." Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stated that unlike China and Iran, entry bans are not imposed on travelers from South Korea and Italy because these two countries have excellent medical systems and the large-scale outbreak of COVID-19 is limited to specific areas.

So far, New Zealand has reported one confirmed case of COVID-19, a patient who returned on the 26th of last month after visiting Iran and traveling through Bali, Indonesia. New Zealand health authorities announced that two more cases showing symptoms similar to COVID-19 have occurred in New Zealand and are being tested, and clarified that these individuals were not on the same flight as the first confirmed patient.

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