Yesterday, Zero Confirmed Cases Among Short-Term Foreign Visitors from China... First Since Testing Became Mandatory

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] For the first time in about a month since the mandatory COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was implemented for short-term foreign visitors arriving from China, no confirmed cases have been reported.

Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 Arrival Hall Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 4th, among 1,136 people who arrived at Incheon International Airport from China the previous day, 164 short-term foreign visitors underwent PCR testing at the airport testing center, but none tested positive.

To prevent the rapid spread of COVID-19 in China from affecting the domestic situation, the government mandated PCR testing for arrivals from China starting from the 2nd of last month. Short-term visitors are tested at the airport testing center, while long-term visitors and nationals are tested at local public health centers.

According to health authorities, among 7,399 people who arrived from China between the 22nd and 28th of last month, 7,272 had PCR test results, with 146 confirmed positive, resulting in a positivity rate of 2.0%, which is 0.9 percentage points lower than the previous week. As the positivity rate decreases and no confirmed cases have been found, attention is focused on whether major public health measures such as pre- and post-arrival testing and short-term visa restrictions, scheduled until the end of this month, will be eased earlier.

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