[Q&A] Criteria for Special Entry Procedures in 5 European Countries? "Countries with Direct Flights to Han"

On the 9th, passengers arriving on a flight from Japan at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport are moving to undergo a three-step special entry procedure, including quarantine and contact information verification. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Travelers from five European countries including France, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands will also be subject to special entry procedures starting from 0:00 on the 15th.

Yoon Tae-ho, Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters' Quarantine General Division (Public Health Policy Officer at the Ministry of Health and Welfare), stated at a regular briefing held at the Government Sejong Complex on the 10th, "As community transmission of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is spreading throughout Europe, we are expanding the list of countries subject to special entry procedures."

People who have departed from Europe and entered via transit points such as Dubai and Moscow within the past 14 days must also undergo special entry procedures. In France, Germany, Spain, and other countries, the number of confirmed cases surged up to 10.8 times over the past week from the 4th to the previous day.

Currently, the countries subject to special entry procedures are China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Italy, and Iran.

◇Below is a Q&A with Head Yoon of the Quarantine General Division regarding the expansion of special entry procedures

- What criteria were used to select the five countries?

▲ Since there is virtually no border control between countries in Europe, we have cast a wide net covering almost all airports that could potentially bring cases into Korea. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain were added to the expansion list as they are countries where airports with direct flights to Korea are located.

- The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have relatively small numbers of confirmed cases; why were they included?

▲ The rate of occurrence in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands is very rapid. Considering that the number of confirmed cases in Germany increased about tenfold within a week, we judged that it is necessary to respond proactively to these two countries as well.

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