PRE-ARRIVAL TESTING REQUIREMENTS

[Anchor Lead]

Korean health authorities are leaning towards removing the mandatory pre-travel COVID-19 test requirement for inbound travelers to Korea, amid a downturn in infections. A state advisory panel on infectious diseases advised scrapping the pre-arrival testing requirement. But it stressed that testing was still needed after arrival.

[Pkg]

A state advisory panel on infectious diseases proposed the KDCA abolish the requirement on travelers to take COVID-19 tests before entering Korea. Currently, inbound travelers are required to conduct a PCR test 48 hours before or a rapid antigen test 24 hours before their boarding dates and hand in negative test results.

[Soundbite] Jung Ki-seok(Chair, State Advisory Panel on Infectious Diseases) : "Considering accuracy, effectiveness and the financial burden on people, we agreed last week that it would be better to abolish the pre-departure testing requirement."

While noting possible inaccurate results of tests conducted overseas, the committee explained that travelers have to shoulder a huge financial burden for self-isolating abroad if they test positive, in addition to testing expenses. But it stressed the need to keep in place the requirement for travelers to get tested shortly after arrival. The panel said they should take PCR tests within a day after arrival in order to block the spread of variants. The nation added over 110,000 new cases on Tuesday. Of them, some 300 cases were imported. The number of critically ill patients is still on the rise, hovering over the 500 mark for a week. This is why there are concerns that getting rid of the pre-departure testing requirement could create a vacuum in the nation's anti-virus battle.

[Soundbite] Prof. Lee Jae-gab(Hallym Univ. Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital) : "People possibly infected with the virus will travel on flights. More measures are needed to ensure safety in planes."

The pre-departure testing requirement will likely be abolished after the Chuseok holiday, which will see a surge in travelers. Health officials plan to announce detailed guidelines soon.