7000 People Self-Quarantined Daily... 'Family Distancing' Put to the Test

Iranian expatriates and their families are returning home through Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 on the 19th. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Kim Heung-soon, Jo Hyun-ui] Moon Seong-yoon (43, pseudonym), an office worker at a mid-sized company in Seoul, has been self-quarantining in a one-room apartment in the metropolitan area for a week after returning from a business trip to Europe. Although he is not confirmed to have COVID-19, he is taking precautions against possible infection since he entered the country from a COVID-19 affected region. He decided on this because he judged it difficult to completely separate his movements if he quarantined at home with his family. To avoid contact with local residents near his one-room apartment, he is refraining from going outside and is just waiting for the 14-day quarantine period to pass safely.

Starting Tomorrow, 2-Week Self-Quarantine for Overseas Arrivals
Key to Preventing Transmission Among Families

As the proportion of COVID-19 cases imported from overseas continues to rise among new domestic confirmed cases, the government and health authorities have decided to mandate a 2-week self-quarantine for all overseas arrivals starting next month on the 1st. Following the 'intensive social distancing' measures implemented for two weeks from the 22nd, the government and health authorities are now putting the 'family distancing' measures to prevent community transmission of COVID-19 to a serious test. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 31st, the number of domestic and foreign nationals entering the country from overseas during the week starting the 22nd ranged from 7,200 to 9,800 per day. About 90% of these are domestic nationals.

The health authorities estimate that excluding short-term foreign visitors who will quarantine in government facilities, about 7,000 people per day are expected to self-quarantine in the community. If these individuals leave their residence and come into contact with the community, penalties such as fines can be imposed under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. Foreign nationals may face deportation or entry bans under the Immigration Control Act.

However, it is not easy to completely avoid contact with family members and strictly follow the guidelines while staying at home or residence. Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said, "Transmission among family members can primarily occur during self-quarantine," and urged, "Please use personal items separately and maintain a 2-meter distance from family members or cohabitants, and comply with related guidelines."

‘Short-Term Separated Families’ Also Voluntarily Quarantine
"Strict Compliance with Disinfection and Hygiene Guidelines Needed"

As in Moon’s case, some overseas arrivals judge it impossible to avoid contact with family members and choose not to return home but stay elsewhere for two weeks. A 35-year-old female ballet instructor running a ballet academy in Bangbae-dong, Seoul, recently visited the UK and Germany with three high school students who are her students to take overseas ballet exams, but the exams were canceled due to COVID-19, and they returned on the 26th. Instead of going home, they moved to a countryside house in Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province, owned by a relative of one of the students and began self-quarantine there. Later, the instructor was diagnosed positive and transferred to a hospital, while the students tested negative.

A Gimpo City official said, "Thanks to the prompt response of the instructor and the students’ parents, contact within the community after their return was prevented," adding, "The students are currently following self-quarantine guidelines at the countryside house, and their parents are staying nearby to deliver necessary supplies." While self-quarantine is easier when a separate residence is available, most arrivals realistically spend two weeks in the same space with family members, reducing contact as much as possible.

Jeon Byung-yul, dean of the Graduate School of Health Industry at CHA University, emphasized, "Shared facilities such as bathrooms should be disinfected with bleach after use, and meals and sleeping arrangements should be separated as much as possible according to circumstances," adding, "Even if there are no suspicious symptoms, it depends on the willingness of arrivals to strictly follow self-quarantine rules." Meanwhile, as of midnight that day, the number of confirmed domestic cases was 9,786, an increase of 125 from the previous day. Among the new confirmed cases, 29 were imported cases, accounting for 23% of the total.

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