Growing Variant Virus Risk... PCR Tests for All Arrivals to Be Conducted 3 Times Starting from the 24th

Concerns over the fourth wave of COVID-19, including the spread of a new variant originating from the UK, are growing. On the 5th, overseas arrivals wearing protective suits were heading to temporary quarantine facilities at Incheon International Airport on Yeongjongdo Island.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Starting from the 24th, all overseas arrivals, regardless of nationality, will be required to submit a negative PCR test certificate upon entry. Additionally, diagnostic tests will be conducted three times in total: before entry, immediately after entry, and before quarantine release.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Central Disease Control Headquarters announced these strengthened quarantine measures for overseas arrivals on the 10th. This measure comes as the number of confirmed cases imported domestically due to the global spread of COVID-19 variants has reached around 80, and cases of community transmission have occurred due to insufficient self-quarantine or quarantine exemptions.

First, to strengthen variant virus surveillance, the number of variant virus genome analysis institutions will be expanded from two (KDCA and one private institution) to a total of eight, including the Disease Response Center and private institutions. Also, the analysis method will shift from whole virus analysis, which currently takes 5 to 7 days, to variant site analysis, which yields results within 3 to 4 days, enabling rapid identification and response to domestic importation and transmission.

Considering the variant virus prevalence rate, countries subject to strengthened quarantine measures will be designated. Currently, the Philippines, Nepal, the United Kingdom, and South Africa are designated as countries with enhanced quarantine measures. Designated countries will face strengthened quarantine measures such as flight restrictions. The Central Disease Control Headquarters will apply the same level of quarantine measures to the entire African continent, considering the risk level of the South African variant and Africa’s medical and surveillance systems.

Furthermore, from the 24th, all overseas arrivals will be required to submit a negative PCR test certificate upon entry. This expands the submission obligation, which has been in effect for foreign arrivals since the 8th of last month, to include Korean nationals as well. In addition, tests will be conducted not only before entry but also within one day after entry and before quarantine release, totaling three diagnostic tests.

Unless there are exceptional reasons such as official overseas business trips, the quarantine exemption system will, in principle, be suspended for countries where variant viruses have emerged. The single-room quarantine measure currently applied to patients with the UK, South African, and Brazilian variants will be expanded to all confirmed cases imported from overseas. Additionally, each city, county, and district will designate an 'Overseas Arrival Management Officer' to monitor quarantine compliance and symptoms at least twice a day.

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