87 countries, regions restricting entry of people from S. Korea over coronavirus fears

By Song Sang-ho

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- A total of 87 countries and regions are imposing entry bans or quarantine procedures on visitors from South Korea on Tuesday, despite Seoul's diplomatic push to curb what it calls excessively restrictive measures.

As of 9 a.m., 36 countries and regions were barring the entry of travelers who have visited South Korea in the past two weeks, while 51 countries and regions, including China, were implementing quarantine procedures for them, according to the foreign ministry.

The number of COVID-19 infections in South Korea has risen to 4,812 with 28 deaths as the country accelerates what it terms a "transparent and open" testing process in its all-out campaign to stem the virus.

On Tuesday, the Maldives started to ban the entry of people who have visited South Korea's southeastern city of Daegu and adjacent regions, the site of most of the country's infections. But it decided not to impose the entry ban on those from Seoul or the surrounding Gyeonggi Province.

The number of Chinese provinces and cities that have instituted quarantine programs for people from Korea decreased by one to 13, as the ministry delisted Beijing on the grounds that only some residential complexes were conducting their own quarantine measures rather than the municipality enforcing it officially.

Britain now recommends self-quarantine for people who have traveled to South Korea in the last two weeks, should they have mild symptoms of the virus. Earlier, the country recommended self-quarantine only for visitors from Daegu and the nearby county of Cheongdo.

Moscow currently requires a 14-day self-quarantine for both Russians and foreigners who have arrived in the capital aboard flights from South Korea. The country's far eastern island of Sakhalin has also enforced quarantine measures for those from Korea and other virus-affected countries.

The United States has not yet implemented entry restrictions. But passengers on flights bound for the U.S. are to undergo temperature checks before boarding.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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