Authorities "Enhance Quarantine and On-site Inspections for Overseas Entrants to Block Variant Influx" (Update)

"About 4,000 Overseas Arrivals from Japan... Complete Facility Quarantine Not Possible"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The government has stated that it is closely monitoring the COVID-19 quarantine situation in India, where a large-scale outbreak is currently occurring, and plans to strengthen quarantine measures to block the inflow of variant viruses.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters' quarantine team, said at the COVID-19 regular briefing on the 28th, "As the number of cases in India has become severe, immigration, diplomatic, and quarantine authorities are closely cooperating to strengthen quarantine measures," adding, "We plan to support quarantine supplies such as oxygen generators and diagnostic kits to the India region." Regarding the return of Korean residents living in India, he added, "We will permit irregular flights and prevent virus inflow through three rounds of COVID-19 testing and thorough quarantine upon return."

Currently, authorities conduct PCR tests upon entry for all arrivals from variant surveillance countries where variant viruses are prevalent, including India. They confirm test results through a 1-night, 2-day facility quarantine, and if negative, individuals undergo self-quarantine or facility quarantine. South Africa, Tanzania, and others are managed in facilities after a negative test, while other countries are managed through either facility or self-quarantine.

Yoon said, "About 4,000 people enter the country daily from overseas, and although they may not be from variant outbreak countries, the possibility of carrying variant viruses cannot be excluded. Considering this comprehensively, the basic principle would be to quarantine all 4,000 in facilities," but added, "However, it is nearly impossible to accommodate all of them for 14 days of quarantine."

He continued, "Therefore, through risk assessment, facility quarantine is mandatory for countries where the South African variant virus is prevalent, such as South Africa and neighboring countries, but for other countries, quarantine is conducted either in facilities or at home depending on the place of residence." He added, "We are continuously monitoring related matters and are supplementing quarantine measures for overseas arrivals through meetings."

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said, "For those entering from countries with strengthened quarantine measures and undergoing self-quarantine, health centers evaluate the appropriateness of whether self-quarantine can be properly maintained, and dedicated officials conduct on-site inspections about once or twice a week to check for violations, thereby strengthening management."

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