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To beef up disease prevention measures, the South Korean government plans to establish special immigration for travelers from Hong Kong and Macau in addition to mainland China in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. It also recommended reducing travel to six countries where infections have been found in local communities, namely Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan.

In a regular briefing on the afternoon of Feb. 11, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced that it was “designating Hong Kong and Macau in addition to mainland China as contaminated regions subject to intensified disease prevention measures as of 12 am on Feb. 12.”

In Hong Kong, infections have been confirmed in local communities amid an increased number of patients (36 as of a World Health Organization announcement on Feb. 10). Macau (10 patients), which neighbors China’s Guangdong Province, was also included as subject to intensified measures due to the strong possibility of patients arriving by way of that region. The headquarters further said that Singapore and other locations may be considered for possible future designation as contaminated regions.

Travelers entering South Korea from mainland China are currently required to go through special entry procedures. The same procedures will now also apply to travelers arriving from Hong Kong and Macau. All South Korean and foreign nationals arriving in South Korea will be required to enter a special immigration facility to undergo individual temperature testing and submit questionnaires on their health condition. Passengers will also be barred from entry without verified contact information in South Korea.

A recommendation was also issued to minimize travel to six countries where infections have been found in local communities: Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan. Under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ current four-stage travel alert system, China’s Hubei Province is subject to a level 3 “withdrawal recommendation” (advising withdrawal and cancelation of travel plans for all but the most urgent cases), while Hong Kong, Macau, and other parts of mainland China are subject to a level 2 “refrain from travel” recommendation (urging special care for physical safety and caution in travel decisions). Regarding the six countries’ designation for a minimum travel recommendation, the KCDC explained, “These are countries that have a lot of interactions with China, and were judged on that basis to present more of a risk of spreading [infections] in the local community.”

The headquarters further announced plans to provide the travel history of people who have visited Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam to medical institutions on Feb. 11. Data for people who have visited Japan will be provided on Feb. 13, while data for travelers who’ve visited Taiwan and Malaysia will be provided on Feb. 17.

By Noh Ji-won and Park Da-hae, staff reporters

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