KDCA Inspects Quarantine System at Incheon Airport to Prepare for Imported Infectious Diseases

Vaccination Before Departure...
Immediate Reporting of Symptomatic Cases Upon Entry

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on June 19 that they inspected the current status of the quarantine system for infectious diseases at Incheon International Airport, as the incidence of COVID-19 is rising in some Asian countries such as China and Thailand.

Yonhap News

Currently, the National Incheon Airport Quarantine Station has quarantine officers checking all inbound travelers for fever, and verifying the health status of travelers arriving from designated key quarantine management areas through the Q-CODE system. In addition, if a traveler shows symptoms, the officers conduct a detailed assessment of symptoms and epidemiological links, and, if necessary, take measures such as collecting specimens or facility isolation.

The KDCA stated that, according to domestic COVID-19 sentinel surveillance, the number of hospitalized patients has not increased significantly. However, considering the possibility of cases being imported from neighboring countries, the agency plans to maintain a thorough quarantine system for all arrivals. The number of hospitalized patients under COVID-19 sentinel surveillance increased from 100 in the third week of May to 98 in the fourth week and 105 in the fifth week, and has remained at 95 in the first week of this month.

Hong Jongwan, Director of the Social Disaster Response Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, visited the sites of entry quarantine inspections and epidemiological investigations for travelers with fever, and stated, "It is important to maintain a seamless quarantine management system for inbound travelers to prevent the spread of imported infectious diseases into the country."

Ji Youngmi, Commissioner of the KDCA, said, "With the summer vacation season approaching, it is important to check country-specific infectious disease information before traveling abroad to prevent infection. If you have symptoms such as fever upon arrival, please report to a quarantine officer and undergo the dengue rapid test and traveler respiratory infection tests provided at the quarantine station before returning home safely."