MANDATORY TESTING FOR ARRIVALS FROM CHINA

[Anchor Lead]

Regarding the recent spread of COVID-19 in China, the South Korean government also laid out additional quarantine measures against those entering the country from China. Entrants from China must receive PCR or professional rapid antigen tests before and after entering the country.

[Pkg]

COVID-19 testing will become mandatory both before and after arrival for travelers coming in from China. All arrivals from China must receive a PCR or a professional rapid antigen test within 48 hours before boarding. They must also receive a PCR test within one day of arrival. For short-term stay foreign visitors, they need to get tested upon arrival at the airport, paying out of their own pocket, and wait for the results before leaving the airport. South Korean nationals and long-term foreign visitors can get tested at local health centers near their residence within 24 hours of arrival and wait for the results at home. People arriving from China must also enter their test results into the Q-code quarantine information system. Flights arriving from China will be temporarily suspended from landing at Gimhae, Daegu and Jeju airports and will all be directed only to Incheon International Airport. The government will also stop adding flights departing from China whose volume is currently at about 5% of the pre-pandemic level. The government will also limit the issuance of short-term visas at South Korean mission offices in China in a bid to restrict Chinese travels to Korea. Such measures will be implemented through February but could be extended depending on the situation.

[Soundbite] Jee Young-mee(KDCA Director) : "If the risks increase and become more concrete, the gov't will place China under closer monitoring and introduce additional quarantine measures."

Meanwhile South Korea reported some 65-thousand new COVID-19 cases on Friday, down from a week ago. However, authorities concluded that the latest wave has been continuing to increase at a gradual pace.