[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) spreads in Korea, India has decided to quarantine travelers from Korea who show suspicious symptoms such as fever for 14 days.
On the 26th, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced, "People arriving from Korea, Iran, and Italy, or those who have traveled to these countries after the 10th of this month, may be quarantined for 14 days immediately upon arrival in India." They urged their citizens to refrain from unnecessary travel to these countries. Until now, India has been monitoring travelers from COVID-19 outbreak countries such as China, Korea, Japan, and Singapore for fever symptoms upon entry but had not implemented quarantine measures.
In India, a total of three confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the 30th of last month, and on the 2nd and 3rd of this month, one case each. India has also temporarily suspended the issuance of e-visas for foreign travelers coming from China, the origin of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Macau, Japan, and the Philippines announced additional entry restrictions for visitors from Korea. The Macau government will implement a 14-day quarantine for all entrants to Macau who have visited Korea within the past 14 days, starting from 12:00 noon local time. This applies to both Macau residents and non-residents. Non-resident entrants will be quarantined for 14 days at hotels provided by the Macau government. All costs incurred during the quarantine period must be borne by the individual. Macau residents will undergo self-quarantine for 14 days.
Japan has also decided to ban entry of travelers who have stayed in Daegu and Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk Province. The Japanese government held a COVID-19 countermeasure meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and made this decision. This measure is expected to be implemented as early as midnight tomorrow.
The Philippines has also decided to block entry of travelers coming from Gyeongsangbuk-do. The Philippine government announced that it has decided to immediately ban entry of travelers coming from Gyeongbuk, Korea. The Philippine government will assess the risk within 48 hours and decide whether to expand measures to other regions of Korea. However, Philippine permanent residents, international students, and Filipino migrant workers are exempt from the entry ban.
In addition, the number of countries that have previously blocked entry or imposed quarantine measures on travelers from Korea has reached 16. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Overseas Safety Travel website as of 10:30 a.m. on the 26th, these countries include Nauru, Micronesia, Vietnam, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Singapore, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, American Samoa, and Mauritius.
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