20 Countries Designated as Key Quarantine Management Areas Due to High Risk of Infectious Disease Outbreaks

KDCA Designates United States, China, Vietnam, and Others as High-Risk Areas for Plague and MERS
"Check Infectious Disease Information Before Traveling; Report Symptoms Upon Entry"

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced on June 20 that it will designate 20 countries, including the United States, China, and Vietnam, as key quarantine management areas for the third quarter, with the measure taking effect on July 1.

The KDCA designates regions as quarantine management areas if there is an outbreak of, or a risk of outbreak of, quarantinable infectious diseases, which could lead to the inflow of infected patients into South Korea. Travelers who have stayed in or transited through these regions must report to a quarantine officer upon entry if they exhibit symptoms of infectious diseases.

Additionally, among the quarantine management areas, regions where highly fatal and highly transmissible infectious diseases are prevalent, or at risk of an outbreak, are separately designated as key quarantine management areas. Travelers passing through these regions are required to submit either Q-CODE (the Quarantine Information Pre-entry System that assigns a QR code upon pre-entry of quarantine information before boarding) or a health declaration form.

For the third quarter, key quarantine management areas include three countries with a high risk of plague infection, such as Madagascar; multiple regions in five countries with a high risk of avian influenza human infection, including Minnesota in the United States, Guangdong Province in China, and the southeastern region of Vietnam; and 13 countries with a high risk of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), such as Lebanon. Compared to the previous quarter, Michigan in the United States, which was previously managed for avian influenza human infection, has been removed, while the southeastern and Mekong Delta regions of Vietnam and Bangladesh have been added.

The number of countries designated as quarantine management areas for 15 infectious diseases, including measles and dengue fever, has increased from 167 in the second quarter to 182 in the third quarter.

The current list of key quarantine management areas and quarantine management areas can be found in the notices section of the KDCA website.

Ji Youngmi, Commissioner of the KDCA, emphasized, "Before traveling abroad, please check quarantine and overseas infectious disease information through the campaign webpage 'Travel Health Official' and exercise special caution." She added, "If you experience symptoms such as fever upon entry, report to a quarantine officer and undergo testing at the National Quarantine Station before returning home."