Concerns Over Delta Variant... Surge in Imported COVID-19 Cases Raises Alarm

Government Plans to Add Variant Outbreak Countries and Strengthen Management Measures

On the 28th, as concerns about the spread of COVID-19 variant viruses grow, overseas arrivals are waiting at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

As the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant spreads globally, the number of confirmed cases imported from overseas into South Korea continues to rise. Concerns are growing that infected individuals entering the country from abroad could trigger the spread of variants domestically. The government plans to tighten quarantine measures again by designating additional countries with variant outbreaks and strengthening management.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 28th, 29 new confirmed cases were reported from overseas arrivals in a single day. The number of imported cases over the past week (July 21?27) ranged between 30 and 50 per day, totaling 291. The weekly number of imported cases, which was only 116 in the first week of this month, has nearly tripled in three weeks.

By country, the highest number of imported cases came from Indonesia, where the Delta variant is currently prevalent, with 12 cases. Notably, the number of cases arriving from Indonesia has been in double digits for nearly ten days. On this day, 18 cases were confirmed in the community after passing quarantine upon entry.

The government’s concerns deepened as it had been planning to ease quarantine measures starting in July, supported by a vaccination rate approaching 30%. For now, the government views mid-July as a critical turning point and plans to launch an all-out effort to control the outbreak. There is also a possibility of revising the exemption from self-quarantine for overseas vaccinated individuals. Although the government decided to exempt vaccinated entrants for humanitarian reasons from quarantine starting next month, countries like India and Indonesia, where the Delta variant is spreading, were not included in the exemption list, raising concerns. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting the day before, "The period until mid-July, before the first dose vaccination campaign fully resumes, will be the biggest challenge for quarantine," adding, "We will designate additional countries with variant outbreaks to strengthen management and actively block domestic importation."

Additionally, considering the recent outbreak situation and the rapid relaxation of quarantine vigilance, the authorities decided to have a two-week ‘adaptation period’ for the application of the new social distancing system in most regions nationwide. Starting July 1, under the new distancing system, the metropolitan area will be under Level 2, and non-metropolitan areas under Level 1. However, until August 14, private gatherings will be limited to six people in the metropolitan area and Jeju, and up to eight people in most non-metropolitan areas such as Busan, Gwangju, and Daejeon. Contrary to expectations that restrictions would be fully lifted in non-metropolitan areas, all except Chungnam will still have limits on the number of people allowed to gather.

The authorities are also considering strengthening quarantine measures further in Seoul, where the outbreak scale is large. Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, said, "On the 29th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting will be held focusing on the metropolitan area," adding, "We will receive opinions from the three metropolitan cities and provinces and discuss and announce plans to strengthen quarantine measures."

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