Wuhan Returnees Cannot Repatriate If They Have Symptoms Such as Fever (Update)

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo is speaking at a meeting with heads of medical organizations regarding measures to respond to the novel coronavirus infection, held on the 29th at Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] As the government is pushing to repatriate Korean residents staying in Wuhan, China due to the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), it has decided to bring back only those without symptoms. Initially, the plan was to repatriate regardless of symptom presence, but the Chinese government maintained its principle of prohibiting departure if symptoms such as fever are present, preventing the narrowing of differences in stance.

Kim Kang-lip, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare leading the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a briefing after the third meeting on the 29th, "During consultations with Chinese authorities, we respected the local quarantine laws and procedures and understood this aspect, so we decided to transport only asymptomatic individuals first."

Earlier, Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo had told reporters before meeting with heads of medical organizations that morning, "Symptomatic individuals will also be isolated separately and boarded (on the plane)." This means the stance within the response headquarters changed within half a day.

The Chinese health authorities' prohibition on departure if symptoms such as fever are present was already known to our government. The Wuhan Consulate General had also notified local Korean residents of this point when conducting a demand survey for charter flights for repatriation in advance.