The transfer comes after related bulletins by India, Italy, Taiwan and the US.
South Korea will take a look at travellers from China for COVID-19 and limit short-term visas for Chinese language nationals, becoming a member of a handful of nations which have launched journey restrictions because of surging infections on the earth’s most populous nation.
Travellers from China might be required to supply a destructive PCR take a look at inside 48 hours of departure or a fast antigen take a look at taken inside 24 hours, adopted by a PCR take a look at after arrival, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stated on Friday.
South Korea may even briefly halt the growth of flights to China and restrict all inner flights to Incheon Worldwide Airport, the nation’s largest, Han stated.
“We have to urgently put together for any home ripple results following China’s easing of quarantine guidelines,” Han stated. “We are going to put together to take stronger measures in case the scenario will get worse, if we see a fast enhance of infections from new arrivals or look of latest variants.”
The measures come after India, Italy, Taiwan and america launched COVID assessments for arrivals from China amid considerations concerning the potential emergence of latest variants and the Chinese language authorities’s lack of transparency. Different nations, together with the Philippines and the UK, are contemplating related measures.
Some well being consultants have questioned the necessity for the restrictions, arguing they’re unlikely to cease the unfold of latest virus variants.
European Union officers on Thursday rejected a name from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for the bloc to check all air passengers from China.
Infections have surged in China following Beijing’s resolution to unwind its controversial “zero-COVID” coverage, placing hospitals, morgues and crematoriums below pressure.
Chinese language authorities have been accused of downplaying the seriousness of the scenario, with well being officers reporting solely a handful of deaths in current weeks.
Well being consultants have predicted China might expertise as much as 2 million deaths within the coming months as a result of inhabitants’s lack of pure immunity after practically three years of isolation and patchy vaccine uptake among the many aged.