[Asia Economy Reporter Im On-yu] Chinese authorities have confirmed that a woman in her 50s who visited Jeju Island contracted the novel coronavirus (Wuhan pneumonia). The woman has since returned to China, and it is presumed that her stay in Jeju coincided with the incubation period of the virus.
Jeju Province announced on the 1st that a 52-year-old Chinese woman, A, who entered Jeju International Airport on January 21 via China Spring Airlines and stayed in Jeju for 4 nights and 5 days until the 25th, was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus on January 30 after returning to Yangzhou, China.
The confirmation of Ms. A's infection was made known when China Spring Airlines informed the Jeju Regional Aviation Office. The Jeju Regional Aviation Office immediately relayed information about Ms. A's visit to Jeju and her confirmed infection to Jeju Province and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. It is reported that Ms. A's accompanying family members who visited Jeju with her show no symptoms of infection.
The province estimates that Ms. A's visit period to Jeju may have been during the incubation period of the novel coronavirus. There is ongoing debate about the possibility of human-to-human transmission during the incubation period. However, due to the potential risk, disinfection efforts and contact tracing along Ms. A's travel route are necessary.
The province explained that since the confirmed patient and her family are in China, it took time to verify facts via phone calls, but they are currently in contact with the family in China to investigate details such as travel routes and the purpose of the Jeju visit. The province plans to identify Ms. A's movements in Jeju and confirm close contacts; once the investigation is complete, they will promptly announce the findings and implement measures at the Jeju provincial level.
Meanwhile, although the number of Chinese visitors to Jeju during the Spring Festival (Chunje, Chinese New Year, January 24?30) decreased more than expected due to fears of the novel coronavirus spreading, around 10,000 Chinese tourists still visited Jeju during the week of the festival. Online communities such as local mom cafes and social networking services (SNS) in Jeju have voiced calls to block visa-free entry for Chinese visitors before the virus worsens.
The province is currently consulting with the Ministry of Justice on temporarily suspending the visa-free entry system exclusively for Chinese nationals to prevent the influx of the novel coronavirus.
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