[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] News that the COVID-19 related quarantine system in South Korea, which has strengthened inspections for arrivals from China, has experienced errors is becoming a hot topic in China.
On the 4th, local media such as Zimu News reported that the system encountered errors just two days after mandatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was imposed on arrivals from China.
The South Korean government has required all arrivals from China to undergo COVID-19 PCR testing starting from the 2nd, in response to the surge in COVID-19 cases in China. The list of arrivals was supposed to be accessed through the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's 'COVID-19 Information Management System,' allowing local governments to verify and guide testing. However, on the 3rd, the system malfunctioned, resulting in the inability to confirm related information.
This news became a hot topic by ranking first in popular search news on Baidu (百度), China's largest portal site, as of 9 a.m. local time on the 4th. Some local netizens criticized the insufficient measures, questioning whether the system could not handle the large number of tourists.
The Chinese government has expressed dissatisfaction with more than 14 countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada, strengthening quarantine measures for arrivals from China. Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to related questions at a regular briefing the previous day, stating, "We firmly oppose attempts to manipulate infectious disease prevention and control measures for political purposes," and emphasized, "We will take corresponding measures based on the principle of reciprocity." In particular, he pointed out, "We do not believe some countries' measures are based on science," and added, "Some excessive methods are unacceptable."
The Chinese state-run Global Times (GT) reported that Chen Xi, a public health professor at Yale University, said, "Requiring PCR tests for all travelers is unnecessary," and "On-site sampling to track variants is more important." Another health expert, who requested anonymity, told GT, "Politicians are exaggerating the threat of quarantine, and this is just to show that the government is doing something to protect its citizens," explaining, "The most important thing is for the world to monitor variant viruses and provide information to the public."
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