[Q&A] Government: "Mandatory Self-Quarantine for All Entrants, Decision Made in Consultation with Local Governments"

Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, COVID-19 Regular Briefing

On the 27th, when enhanced quarantine measures for arrivals from the United States began, passengers arriving on a flight from San Francisco, USA, were exiting the gate at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport. People with suspected COVID-19 symptoms must undergo diagnostic testing, and asymptomatic individuals are required to self-quarantine for two weeks. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced on the 28th that the government and local governments are discussing measures to mandate self-quarantine for all overseas arrivals for a certain period. This move comes in response to criticisms that the current policy, which targets only arrivals from certain regions such as Europe and the United States, is insufficient as COVID-19 cases rapidly increase worldwide.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Accident Response Headquarters' quarantine team, stated at a briefing that regarding the expansion of self-quarantine targets among overseas arrivals, "We will discuss with local governments over the weekend and announce once finalized." According to the government, no metropolitan local government has yet designated all arrivals as self-quarantine subjects. However, Yoon mentioned that metropolitan areas with many overseas arrivals, such as Seoul and Gyeonggi, are considering such measures.

Since the 22nd, arrivals from Europe have been required to undergo diagnostic testing, and even if testing negative, they must self-quarantine for two weeks. Currently, quarantine measures have been strengthened to manage arrivals. From the 27th, arrivals from the United States must also self-quarantine for two weeks even if asymptomatic during quarantine. Yoon said, "We are gathering opinions from local governments and preparing policies after fully considering the feasibility of managing self-quarantined individuals and effective management methods for each local government."

Below is a Q&A from the briefing on the day.

- Is there a possibility of claiming damages or considering punishment for Daegu Second Miju Hospital, where a cluster infection occurred?

▲ Epidemiological investigations are still ongoing, and it has not yet been determined whether there was clear negligence. This will be decided after confirmation based on the investigation results.

- If a local government fails to properly conduct epidemiological investigations or quarantine duties, can it be punished?

▲ Under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, there is currently no legal basis to punish local governments for negligence in quarantine duties. However, since local governments are currently making efforts in epidemiological investigations and self-quarantine, it is not the central government's role to evaluate each local government's quarantine work individually. When a role greater than local government capacity is required, the central government should support, and the government considers it important to share well-performing local government practices with others.

- You mentioned forming a social consensus body to establish guidelines for daily quarantine after high-intensity social distancing. What is the current progress?

▲ We are creating guidelines together with the Quarantine Countermeasures Headquarters. We have decided to implement strengthened social distancing for fifteen days and will assess the results to determine if easing is appropriate. Based on that, we will decide whether to transition to a daily quarantine system. We are conducting surveys online to understand what situations and spaces the public is curious about regarding daily quarantine measures. Subsequently, we are developing guidelines focusing on what can be maintained in daily life.

- Are frontline schools adequately preparing quarantine measures ahead of the new semester?

▲ The start of the semester has not been finalized for the 6th of next month. For the semester to begin, community, education sectors, and above all, parental consent are necessary, and sufficient preparation at schools must be made, as emphasized by the Prime Minister during a video conference this morning.

- There is a disagreement among local governments regarding compensation related to a mother and daughter international students who traveled to Jeju Island after returning to Korea. Does the government plan to take any specific measures?

▲ The facts have not yet been confirmed. Once clearly verified, necessary measures will be taken if possible.