AIRPORT QUARANTINE FACILITIES IN SHORT SUPPLY

[Anchor Lead]

A growing number of coronavirus infections in Korea are brought from overseas in recent days, and more and more passengers arriving in Korea are reporting symptoms, but airport quarantine facilities are in short supply. Many also point out that health authorities are not handling the situation properly.

[Pkg]

Passengers wearing face masks stand in line to undergo airport quarantine screening. Some six thousand people who arrived at Incheon on Thursday underwent special screening procedures, such as temperature checks, and installed self-quarantine apps on their mobile phones. However, the number of passengers reporting fever and other symptoms has risen sharply in recent days. On March 17 alone, around 360 people, or nearly 20 percent of all arriving passengers, had these symptoms. The numbers are expected to surge further as all inbound passengers are now subject to intensive airport screenings. But there are only 100 quarantine rooms at the airport, which is not enough to accommodate everyone with symptoms. Only some 840 passengers have been temporarily quarantined at the airport since early last month. Some passengers with fever who were allowed to go home after their specimens had been collected, were diagnosed with COVID-19 later.

[Soundbite] KIM SANG-HEE(INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT) : "Those who can drive home in their personal vehicles are allowed to leave and self-quarantine after having their specimens collected."

When it comes to asymptomatic passengers, detecting infections is virtually impossible.

[Soundbite] KIM WOO-JOO(PROF., KOREA UNIVERSITY GURO HOSPITAL) : "Body temperature may not be high when passengers pass by thermal imaging cameras at the airport. Because the incubation period is up to 14 days, many passengers pass as being asymptomatic at the time."

Self-quarantine is not mandatory for those arriving from overseas. Moreover, health authorities can only detect infected cases when people with travel history self-report via mobile apps.

[Soundbite] LEE SOO-JUNG(ARRIVED FROM EUROPE) : "You can just press "No" on the app and nobody will know. I don't think it's a reliable system."

This week alone, 17 people from abroad were confirmed to have the virus. Health authorities are urging those returning to Korea from Europe and the U.S. to self-quarantine thoroughly for 14 days.