6,619 People Affected by COVID-19 Return from 43 Countries... 2,514 Exceptional Entry Businesspersons

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Provides Consular Assistance to Overseas Koreans Returning Home Worldwide... Overseas Koreans in New Zealand Also Begin Returning from the 7th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] It has been confirmed that more than 6,600 Koreans, including overseas nationals who returned home with government assistance to escape the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) spreading worldwide, have returned from 43 countries. Additional overseas Koreans are expected to return from regions including New Zealand, Africa, and Latin America, so the number is expected to steadily increase.

On the 6th, a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters, "According to the overseas return support statistics, we have helped 6,619 people return from 43 countries," adding, "In the case of Hungary, it is notable that overseas Koreans are being facilitated to return on flights carrying businesspeople, and there is a lot of movement in Uganda, Namibia, Tunisia, Congo, Laos, and other countries."

On the morning of the same day, about 220 overseas Koreans returned from India, where a national lockdown was imposed, and entered a 14-day self-quarantine. A special flight to Mumbai, India, is planned around the 10th, and the Korean Association in Chennai is also pushing for a charter flight. Additionally, overseas Koreans in New Zealand are scheduled to return sequentially starting from the 7th.

Among the 36 confirmed overseas Korean COVID-19 cases, 22 are undergoing treatment or quarantine, and 14 have been confirmed recovered. The number of businesspeople who entered under exceptional entry permissions is counted at 2,514 from eight countries.

The senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "No deaths have been confirmed, and among the 14 recovered, 22 are under treatment or quarantine," adding, "We understand that there are no particularly severe cases." He continued, "Regarding the exceptional entry permissions for businesspeople, cases have been recognized individually, with many entries from Vietnam and China."

Meanwhile, regarding the export of Korean-made COVID-19 diagnostic kits to the United States, he said, "I understand the contract is in its final stages," and added, "I think we will soon hear news that all contracts have been completed." Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that three domestic companies had received provisional approval (pre-authorization), a stage before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

The senior official added, "We told the companies that they would be contacted in the U.S. to prepare, and I believe the contact has already been made," and said, "Regarding whether there are additional companies that have received pre-authorization, no information has been conveyed so far."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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