COUNTRIES RESTRICT ENTRY OF S. KOREANS

[Anchor Lead]

With a surge in coronavirus cases in South Korea, 18 countries and regions have restricted entry of visitors coming from Korea, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. Seven of them have placed an outright entry ban. Korean honeymooners who arrived in the African nation of Mauritius are also denied entry into the country while passengers on a flight that left Korea's Daegu city have also been quarantined in Danang, Vietnam.

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​​​34 South Korean newly weds or 17 couples travelled to Mauritius for their honeymoon, but they were banned from entering upon arrival at the airport. Local authorities put them under quarantine at a facility, saying that some in the group have flu symptoms.

[Soundbite] HONEYMOONER TO MAURITIUS : "They asked only the Koreans to separately gather and ran a thermal test, then asked if we have been to China."

The Mauritian government decided Monday to send them back home as soon as a flight can be arranged. Danang, Vietnam. All passengers on a flight that departed from Daegu on Monday have been quarantined. According to the Korean consulate general in Danang, the measure was taken because the flight, carrying 20 South Koreans, came from that city. Seoul's Foreign Ministry believes that 7 countries are currently banning entry of all foreigners flying in from South Korea. Initially it was Israel, Bahrain, Jordan, Kiribati, Samoa and American Samoa. On Tuesday, Hong Kong joined the list of countries banning entry of travelers from Korea. Eleven other nations have tightened entry procedures. Oman, Qatar and Micronesia will keep visitors from Korea under quarantine for 2 weeks while the UK, Singapore, Thailand, Macao, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uganda will step up screenings and isolate travelers exhibiting symptoms. Taiwan also announced it will mandatorily quarantine all visitors from South Korea for 14 days. This means Taiwan has added Korea on the list of countries which includes Japan, China and Singapore whose travelers are only allowed to enter after the 2 week incubation period. The U.S. CDC raised its travel advisory on South Korea to level 3 which recommends that travelers avoid all nonessential travel to the country. The UK and Singapore also advised their citizens to refrain from traveling to Daegu and Cheongdo, the hardest hit areas of COVID-19 in South Korea.