Q: I arrived from overseas without any suspicious symptoms, so I’m being told to spend two weeks in self-quarantine. How am I supposed to get home from the airport?
A: People who enter the country from overseas are supposed to immediately go home from the airport. The best option is to drive home, but if they don’t have access to a car, designated shuttle buses and carriages on the KTX high-speed train are available for a fee. Those living in the Greater Seoul area can ride shuttle buses to 16 locations in Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province; those living elsewhere can ride a shuttle bus to Gwangmyeong Station, where they can transfer to a KTX carriage that will take them to a station in their area. After that, they can drive home in their own vehicle or ride in a vehicle provided by their local government. They’re expected to wear a mask and disinfect their hands over the course of their journey.
Q: After arriving from overseas, is it OK to spend my two weeks of self-quarantine at a hotel or guesthouse, rather than a designated quarantine facility?
A: That’s not allowed. People are required to quarantine themselves at their personal residence or at a quarantine facility; staying at a hotel or other form of public lodging is subject to the same punishment as breaking quarantine. Breaking the rules of self-quarantine constitutes a violation of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act and the Quarantine Act. The punishment was toughened recently, and offenders can receive up to a year in prison or a fine of as much as 10 million won (US$8,211). Non-Koreans can be deported or banned from entering the country under the Immigration Act.
Regarding punishment for foreign nationals who break quarantineQ: A British national in his 30s and an American teenager studying in Korea were in the news recently after they left their residence in violation of self-quarantine measures. Will they be punished as well?
A: These cases require further review because the two individuals in question entered the country before the mandatory self-quarantine rules took effect on Mar. 22 for people from Europe and on Mar. 28 for people from the US. The British national entered the country on Mar. 20, and the American student on Mar. 15. After the British national is released from the hospital and is capable of answering a summons, we’re planning to call him in for questioning and decide whether he’ll be deported or banned from entering Korea in accordance with the Immigration Act.
Q: There’s bound to be a large increase in the people under self-quarantine. How are they all going to be managed?
A: Before people are allowed to enter the country, they have to install the “self-quarantine safety protection” app at the airport. In the case of those who don’t have a mobile device or have trouble installing the app, immigration officials will determine their address and will share that information with the local government in question. The local government will then put them in the care of a caseworker, and their location will be tracked using a GIS (geographic information system). Citizens are also encouraged to report those who break quarantine. Those who are under self-quarantine will be provided with food and other basic necessities by their local government to ensure they have no reason to leave the house.
Q: What should I do if I develop symptoms while under self-quarantine?
A: If you experience a fever, cough, sore throat, muscle pain, or breathing difficulties, don’t visit a doctor. Instead, you need to immediately contact your caseworker or use the self-quarantine app to arrange a test. If you indicate your symptoms on the app, that information will be immediately communicated to your local government’s community health center and, if necessary, a test will be carried out.
By Park Da-hae and Noh Ji-won, staff reporter
Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]