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| Travelers from China register for COVID-19 tests at a screening center in Incheon International Airport, Jan. 2. Korea Times photo by Ha Sang-yoon |
By Lee Hyo-jin
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has refuted claims raised by Chinese media that travelers from China are subject to "insulting" treatment on arrival here, such as being locked up in a dark room, due to Korea's strengthened entry measures.
Under tightened COVID-19 restrictions, travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau who plan to stay in Korea for 90 days or less should take a PCR test at the airport. Those who test positive must undergo seven days of isolation at a government-designated facility.
The Global Times, a mouthpiece of the Chinese government, wrote on Wednesday that Korea's measures against Chinese travelers are "insulting" and "only target Chinese people." Citing Chinese internet users, it claimed that travelers who were refused entry were taken to a small, dark room for "detention," and that the conditions in the quarantine facilities were very poor, without beds or hot water, and the travelers were forced to pay for the facilities themselves.
It also claimed that Korean authorities are treating Chinese travelers like criminals by making them wear a yellow card around their neck upon landing at the airport before taking them to designated areas. It demanded a rational explanation from the Korean government on the issue, questioning whether these measures target only Chinese nationals.
The Korean health ministry refuted such claims, disclosing details about the government-designated facilities where foreign nationals are quarantined.
"For the safe management of COVID-19 patients arriving from China, we have designated three hotels near Incheon International Airport as quarantine facilities, available to accommodate up to 205 individuals," it said in a statement, noting that the hotels are not substandard in terms of quality and services compared to those often used by Chinese tourists.
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| Interior views of a government-designated quarantine facility for foreign nationals who test positive upon arriving at Incheon International Airport / Courtesy of Ministry of Health and Welfare |
"Various meals are provided through lunch box delivery services. Patients can request the hotel to have their towels and bedsheets changed. We are also offering interpretation services, and medications such as fever relievers, painkillers and disinfectants are being offered as well."
The ministry also noted that patients who are experiencing severe symptoms are also able to receive medical treatment by either visiting designated hospitals near the hotel via a quarantine taxi or using non face-to-face treatment options.
As of Jan. 10, 86 people were placed under quarantine at these facilities, and 32 have so far finished the isolation period, it added.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), for its part, explained that the requirement to wear yellow cards around their neck applies to not only Chinese nationals but all arrivals coming from China.
"All travelers who enter the country from China for a short-term stay, regardless of their nationality, should go through PCR testing at the airport. In order to better guide them to the testing spot, we are requiring them to wear the yellow card. This rule applies to all visitors, regardless of their nationality," it said in a statement, disclosing a photo of a U.K. national wearing the yellow card.
Diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Beijing have been growing following China's suspension of short-term visas for Korean nationals, announced on Tuesday in apparent retaliation against Korea's tightened testing requirements on visitors from China.
Regarding the tension, the KDCA reiterated its stance that these measures ― which are not confined to only Chinese nationals ― were based on scientific grounds, considering the Chinese government's lack of transparency on its virus situation and the proximity between the two countries.
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