"If You Wish, To the Hotel" "Exclusive Taxi Waiting"

Mandatory Self-Quarantine for Arrivals Starting Today
Local Government-Initiated Transport Measures for Arrivals

On the 1st, when the mandatory 2-week self-quarantine for all incoming travelers from abroad began, arrivals at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport lined up to board the special airport bus for overseas arrivals heading to KTX Gwangmyeong Station. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Kim Heung-soon] Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province recently required citizens arriving from the United States and Europe to self-quarantine at home for two weeks under the condition that their residence has two or more separate bathrooms and independent spaces. For residents within the jurisdiction who do not have such a structure at home, applications are being accepted, and they will be transferred to temporary living facilities prepared by the city, such as youth training centers, with a total capacity of 72 rooms. A Yongin city official stated, "This is a movement separation standard considering the risk of infection among family members of arriving citizens," adding, "Not only this condition but also arriving citizens who do not have a suitable self-quarantine place or wish to be isolated in a facility can apply for admission."

Yongin City Allows Application for Temporary Facilities if No Two Bathrooms
Jung-gu, Seoul Guides Applicants to Local Hotels
Suwon City Designates 'Safe Lodging' for Families Staying Instead of Arriving Persons

Starting from the 1st, all asymptomatic domestic and foreign nationals, except those with suspected symptoms of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) or short-term visitors within 14 days, must return to their residence or destination in Korea and undergo mandatory self-quarantine for two weeks. This measure aims to prevent overseas inflow and community transmission of COVID-19. According to estimates by health authorities, about 7,000 people per day will be designated for quarantine. Due to the large number of arrivals and the high risk of community transmission if confirmed cases emerge, local governments are implementing special measures for seamless quarantine from transportation to isolation.

Jung-gu, Seoul, is guiding arriving persons who wish to self-quarantine at a separate location instead of their residence to available hotels within the district and is reviewing legally whether hotel and meal expenses can be supported for Jung-gu residents only. Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province has designated five hotels within the district as 'Safe Lodging' where families can temporarily stay instead of the arriving person self-quarantining at home. Costs are discounted by up to 70%. Suwon City explained, "If the arriving person stays at home and the family uses the hotel, it reduces the hotel's risk burden and enables effective self-quarantine."

On the 1st, when the mandatory 2-week self-quarantine for all incoming travelers from abroad began, arrivals at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport lined up to board the special airport bus for overseas arrivals heading to KTX Gwangmyeong Station. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Special Transportation Measures Also Established
Partitions Installed Inside Vehicles in Uijeongbu, Gwangmyeong, etc.
Drivers Must Wear Protective Suits and Goggles... Thorough Disinfection

Arriving persons use government-arranged airport buses and KTX exclusive cars to travel from the airport to their residence, a measure to prevent the use of public transportation. Those unable to use private vehicles can take shuttle buses or exclusive taxis prepared by local governments from regional hubs or train stations to their destination.

Local governments’ 'special transportation measures' resemble military operations. In Uijeongbu, Gwangmyeong, Yongin, and other cities in Gyeonggi Province, partitions are installed between the driver’s seat and the rear seats in official vehicles and exclusive taxis to prevent close contact with arriving persons. Seoul City has divided the area into eight zones, setting up airport bus drop-off points and plans to provide vehicles from each district office to transport arriving persons. Drivers of airport buses and local government vehicles must wear protective suits and goggles. A local government official said, "For the safety of other arriving persons, vehicles will be disinfected immediately after each trip at a level equivalent to aircraft disinfection."

Meanwhile, 101 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed domestically on the day, bringing the total to 9,887. More than half of the new cases, 52, were confirmed in the Seoul metropolitan area including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. Additional cases are emerging from cluster infections at Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital and Guro Manmin Central Church, and a significant number of recent overseas imported cases are residents of the metropolitan area, indicating a high possibility of more new cases in the near future. Including seven patients identified during quarantine, the number of overseas imported cases increased by 42 from the previous day, totaling 560. The number of patients released from quarantine after recovery increased by 159, bringing the total to 5,567.

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