Despite Submission of Voice Confirmation, COVID-19 Cases Continue Among Arrivals from China... "Due to Incubation Period and Testing Methods"

On the 2nd, when the government reinstated the mandatory COVID-19 PCR testing for arrivals from China, the COVID-19 arrival testing center was operating at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1. / Yeongjongdo = Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Byun Seon-jin] Since January 5, when travelers arriving from China were required to submit a negative COVID-19 test certificate before departure, their positivity rate has been lower than before.

Lee Hyung-hoon, head of the Medical Response Team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stated at the COVID-19 regular briefing on the 6th, "Since the mandatory pre-boarding test was implemented on January 5, among 277 short-term foreign visitors, 35 tested positive (positivity rate 12.6%)," adding, "This is a decrease compared to the cumulative positivity rate of 23.1% (277 positives out of 1,199)."

To minimize the impact of the spread of COVID-19 and variant viruses from China on the domestic situation, the government mandated PCR testing after arrival for travelers from China starting on the 2nd. From the 5th, travelers must submit a negative test certificate obtained within 48 hours before departure, either through a PCR test or a professional rapid antigen test, to be allowed entry.

Despite submitting a negative test certificate before departure, one out of every eight travelers arriving from China tested positive for COVID-19 after arrival. Regarding this, Hong Jung-ik, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters’ Quarantine Support Team, explained, "They may have been in the incubation period at the time of the pre-departure test, so they tested positive after arrival," adding, "The positive cases could have appeared after 48 hours, around the third day after entering the country."

He also said, "There are always scientific limitations to testing," and "Both PCR tests and professional rapid antigen tests have false positive rates, so there are inherent limitations to the testing methods themselves."

The health authorities expect that, since the Chinese government does not transparently disclose COVID-19 data, analyzing variant viruses through confirmed cases among travelers from China will provide indirect insight into the COVID-19 situation in China.

The utilization rate of temporary quarantine facilities, where travelers from China who test positive stay for seven days, is 33%. Some occupants of the temporary quarantine facilities are switched to home quarantine with guardians, and additional backup facilities are also secured, so the authorities explained that there is no shortage of facilities.