[Q&A] "Asymptomatic Domestic Travelers from Europe to Undergo Preemptive Self-Quarantine... Testing Within 3 Days" (Comprehensive)

Passengers arriving on a flight from Frankfurt, Germany, at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 are undergoing special entry procedures. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] As the government has mandated COVID-19 diagnostic testing for all arrivals from Europe, the number of entrants from these regions has surged, prompting health authorities to focus the quarantine system on symptomatic individuals starting from the 24th.

At the regular briefing held this afternoon, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19, stated, "From 2 p.m. today, asymptomatic Korean nationals arriving from Europe will undergo self-quarantine and are required to receive diagnostic testing within three days of arrival at the local public health center. Some of the existing quarantine facilities for incoming travelers awaiting test results will be converted into isolation facilities for symptomatic individuals."

The government has been conducting COVID-19 diagnostic tests on all arrivals from Europe since midnight on the 22nd. Symptomatic individuals have been waiting in airport quarantine facilities to receive testing. Asymptomatic individuals were moved to facilities for testing and allowed to return home if they tested negative. Korean nationals and long-term foreign residents are managed as self-quarantined for 14 days even if they test negative, while short-term foreign residents are placed under active monitoring for two weeks. However, with approximately 1,200 to 1,300 arrivals from Europe daily, the time required for testing and confirming results has lengthened, and concerns about cluster infections due to contact with symptomatic individuals have arisen. Therefore, the policy was changed to prioritize self-quarantine for asymptomatic Korean nationals, followed by testing within three days.

Deputy Director Kwon added, "Asymptomatic foreigners will be tested after facility quarantine; long-term foreign residents who test negative will self-quarantine for 14 days, and short-term residents will continue active monitoring." As of the previous day, there were 1,203 arrivals from Europe, including 101 symptomatic and 1,102 asymptomatic individuals.

◇ Below is the Q&A with Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook regarding the quarantine system for arrivals from Europe

- Do you think it is appropriate from a quarantine perspective to apply the same comprehensive testing approach to arrivals from the United States?

▲ Among arrivals from Europe, foreigners account for less than 10%, with over 90% being our nationals. Fundamentally, rather than complete entry restrictions or blocking, we conduct special entry management strictly based on symptom presence, and in Europe’s case, entry management is even more stringent. In the United States, the overall incidence per 100,000 population is still lower than in Europe but is continuously increasing, so we are internally reviewing countermeasures.

- Is the self-quarantine for asymptomatic Korean nationals arriving from Europe due to a shortage of airport quarantine personnel?

▲ The basic goal is to streamline the quarantine response system focusing on symptomatic individuals. Also, for asymptomatic Korean nationals, as a measure to improve operational issues during testing in facilities, testing will be conducted through self-quarantine. However, since there is a possibility that some asymptomatic individuals may test positive, we will strive to complete testing within three days after arrival at the local public health center to prevent any community transmission or damage.

- With the increasing number of arrivals from Europe, when do you expect additional support for quarantine locations and personnel?

▲ If asymptomatic Korean nationals self-quarantine, some of the quarantine facilities currently used for asymptomatic arrivals awaiting testing can be converted into isolation facilities for symptomatic individuals. Since the number of symptomatic individuals from Europe is likely to increase, this improvement is to ensure sufficient response capacity. If necessary, we will further expand quarantine facilities for symptomatic arrivals and testing waiting areas as needed.

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