All Arrivals from Europe Must Undergo COVID-19 Testing

On the 19th, when the government expanded the special entry procedures to all incoming travelers worldwide to prevent the influx of COVID-19, passengers arriving on a passenger flight from Frankfurt, Germany, were undergoing the special entry procedures at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Kim Heung-soon, Yoo Je-hoon] On the 20th, the number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea increased by 87 from the previous day, totaling 8,652 cases. Daegu, which has the highest number of patients nationwide (6,275 cases), saw an increase of 34 patients compared to the previous day due to a cluster infection outbreak in 11 nursing hospitals in the region. In Gyeonggi Province, where related cases emerged from Bundang Jesaeng Hospital and Seongnam Eunhyeui Gang Church, the number of confirmed cases increased by 14 from the previous day, reaching a cumulative total of 309. Seoul also added 12 new cases, bringing the total close to 300 (299 cases).

The number of new cases imported from overseas increased by one compared to the previous day. Since the first confirmed case in the country?a Chinese woman who entered from Wuhan, China on January 20?there have been a total of 86 cases imported from abroad as of this date. As the number of cases among entrants who reported suspected COVID-19 symptoms such as fever or cough, as well as those who were asymptomatic upon entry but later tested positive, has increased, voices calling for the expansion of personnel and improvement of systems to strengthen management of entrants are growing louder.

In this regard, the government has decided to conduct diagnostic tests on all entrants arriving from Europe starting from the 22nd. Depending on the presence of symptoms, entrants will stay in quarantine facilities at the quarantine station or designated temporary living facilities, and if confirmed positive, they will be transferred to hospitals or residential treatment centers. Even if they test negative, Korean nationals or long-term foreign residents must self-quarantine for two weeks, while short-term foreign residents will be subject to active monitoring.

Overseas Imported Cases Increase Ninefold in Two Weeks
All Entrants from Europe to be Tested Starting 22nd

While the domestic quarantine system has focused on controlling the Shincheonji Jesus Church cluster outbreak and the situation has entered a containment phase, additional confirmed cases imported from overseas continue to rise. As of the first week of this month, there were four suspected imported cases among new confirmed patients, but two weeks later, as of this morning, the number of related patients was 32, and including the official afternoon tally by the quarantine authorities, the total reached 38, increasing more than ninefold.

Including the first confirmed domestic case, most early cases were imported from China and other Asian regions outside China, but recently, many confirmed cases have been found among entrants arriving from Europe. This is attributed to the rapid increase in patients centered in Europe, including Italy, France, and Spain, prompting Korean nationals who were studying or working there to hasten their return.

According to the quarantine authorities, among the 86 confirmed imported cases as of this date, 78 were Korean nationals (1 foreigner and 7 with unidentified nationality). Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital noted, "As the local situation is unstable, the number of returning Korean nationals is increasing, which may lead to more related cases."

On the 19th, when the government expanded the special entry procedures to all incoming travelers worldwide to prevent the influx of COVID-19, passengers arriving on a passenger flight from Frankfurt, Germany, at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport underwent the special entry procedures. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Shortage of Quarantine Personnel and Isolation Facilities
Plans to Secure Additional 51 Rooms in Yeongjongdo

With the expansion of special entry procedures, issues regarding the supply of personnel responsible for quarantine and isolation facilities for symptomatic individuals have emerged as key concerns on the ground. According to the quarantine authorities, the number of entrants was 12,319 on the 15th and 12,514 on the 18th, maintaining a recent range of around 12,000 to 13,000 per day. Among these, about 1,000 people arrive daily on flights from Europe.

According to the Incheon International Airport Quarantine Station, as of this date, there are a total of 216 quarantine station staff including additional support personnel. Of these, 194 excluding administrative staff are deployed for quarantine duties. Kim Sang-hee, head of the Incheon Airport Quarantine Station, said, "Quarantine is conducted in two shifts from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m., but with flights arriving simultaneously in the afternoon, the daytime shift could not leave until 11 p.m. yesterday," adding, "We need to increase related personnel, but the situation is not easy."

There are also many suspected patients, so vigilance in quarantine cannot be relaxed. According to Kim, among 1,898 entrants subject to special entry procedures on the 17th, 19.8% (367 people) were symptomatic. The negative pressure isolation rooms at the Incheon Airport Quarantine Station number only 50, making it impossible to accommodate a large number of confirmed cases if discovered.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun visited the Incheon Airport Quarantine Station the day before and emphasized, "The quarantine station and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must actively communicate and cooperate to take timely necessary measures such as securing facilities and increasing personnel." The quarantine authorities plan to first secure 51 of the 72 rooms at the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation's Boat Racing Training Center in Yeongjongdo and add the remaining 21 rooms as well.

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