Mandatory Self-Quarantine for All Arrivals... Is It Not Done or Cannot Be Done?

National Treasury Support Burden... Gradual Expansion
"Quarantine over Lockdown" Emphasizing WHO Recommendations

On the afternoon of the 22nd, when quarantine procedures for arrivals from Europe to Korea were strengthened, passengers who arrived on a passenger plane from Frankfurt, Germany, at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport were heading to vehicles that would take them to the diagnostic testing area.

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Kim Heung-soon] As the pandemic of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues, voices calling for blocking entrants from countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks into South Korea are growing louder.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of 0:00 on the 24th, among 76 new domestic confirmed cases (total 9,037), 23 were imported cases. Among these, 20 were identified through airport quarantine. This is the second highest number of new cases after Daegu (31 cases). Nevertheless, our government is not implementing restrictive entry measures such as entry bans or mandatory self-quarantine that other countries have enforced. This is due to two reasons: 'cost issues' and 'response through quarantine.'

Testing and Quarantine Costs Supported by National Treasury
Over 1,000 Arrivals from Europe... 90% Are Nationals

According to health authorities, on the 22nd, when diagnostic tests were conducted on all arrivals from Europe, a total of 1,324 people arrived on six flights. Among them, 1,221 were nationals and 103 were foreigners. The government also bears all testing costs for foreigners who are not covered by health insurance. This is in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation that "medical or quarantine costs for foreigners aimed at preventing the spread of infectious diseases should not be charged."

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated, "The cost for one upper respiratory specimen test at public health centers or public sectors is less than 70,000 KRW." If a foreigner is confirmed positive, hospitalization treatment costs are also supported by the national treasury. A local medical institution official said, "In public hospitals, excluding other test costs, the daily hospitalization treatment cost for a four-person room is around 200,000 KRW, and higher amounts apply at advanced institutions such as university hospitals."

The government also provides temporary living facilities where arrivals from Europe stay while awaiting test results. The government and health authorities plan to gradually expand the scope of universal testing after reviewing manpower and cost issues related to testing and self-quarantine.

"Rational Policies Even if Blocking Overseas"
Compared to Some Countries' 'Self-Payment for Quarantine Costs'

Despite WHO's recommendation to avoid border closures, as of 8 PM on the 23rd, 138 countries worldwide have implemented entry bans or selective blocking measures against arrivals from South Korea. Some regions in China, Japan, and Hawaii require arrivals from South Korea to self-quarantine for two weeks at designated hotels with costs borne by the individuals. In Shandong and Heilongjiang provinces in China, medical costs are also paid by the entrants.

This differs from South Korea's policy, which had even considered providing two weeks' living expenses for long-term foreign residents under self-quarantine. Health authorities emphasize that health policies that detect and isolate infected individuals while maintaining daily life and necessary exchanges are more rational and reasonable than entry blocking measures.

However, there is considerable opposition that such policies may show limitations as imported confirmed cases continue to increase. Jeon Byung-yul, Dean of the Graduate School of Health Industry at CHA University, argued, "If a full entry ban is not implemented, policies corresponding to those of countries imposing restrictions on arrivals from South Korea should be enacted," and added, "It is necessary to introduce self-payment quarantine to reduce the number of entrants."

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