[Q&A] Government: "Ban on Foreigners Entering China? Evaluation Not Appropriate"

On the 26th, an asymptomatic foreigner who arrived on a passenger flight from London, UK, is undergoing a COVID-19 test at an open screening clinic (Open Walking Thru type) set up in the outdoor area of Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] As several countries including China restrict foreign entries to block the influx of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the government said on the 27th that "there has been no discussion regarding this matter."

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters' quarantine team, stated at a regular briefing held at the Government Sejong Complex that "the issue of entry bans must be judged according to the situation."

Yoon said, "At this stage, most of the entrants into the country are our nationals," adding, "strengthening quarantine is the priority being discussed."

The government is discussing expanding quarantine measures for arrivals from the United States and Europe. Yoon said, "In-depth discussions are underway," and "we will announce details once they are finalized."

◇The following is a Q&A with Yoon regarding strengthened quarantine measures

- What is your view on China's foreigner entry ban?

▲ It is not appropriate to evaluate China's decision.

- As the number of imported cases steadily increases, is there any fever screening for passengers at the point of departure?

▲ At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting this morning, it was decided that starting from midnight on the 30th, airlines will conduct their own fever screening for passengers on arriving flights from overseas. This applies to both domestic and foreign airlines. Passengers with a temperature exceeding 37.5℃ before boarding will be denied boarding and refunded.

- There are calls to expand self-quarantine requirements to all international arrivals. Is this practically feasible?

▲ Self-quarantine moves beyond the quarantine stage and must be managed by local governments. Some local governments have stated they will impose self-quarantine on all overseas arrivals. We will discuss effective management plans for increased numbers of local governments and self-quarantined individuals.

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