S. Korea to more firmly impose special quarantine procedures for inbound travelers

SEOUL, March 25 (Yonhap) -- The government and the ruling party agreed Wednesday to strengthen the enforcement of quarantine and inspection measures for people coming from abroad to stem a growing number of imported cases of the new coronavirus.

South Korea imposes special anti-infection measures on all arrivals, including fever checks, health questionnaires and the use of a self-check mobile phone app. Those arriving from Europe undergo a two-week self-quarantine and a virus test.

"The government and the party discussed how to implement the special entry procedures more strictly," Lee Nak-yon, chief of the Democratic Party's task force on COVID-19, told reporters after a meeting involving officials from the presidential office, related ministries and the party.

He emphasized the need for more stringent enforcement of self-quarantines and monitoring through mobile apps.

"It is right to sternly impose the guidelines on those who do not follow them. The health and life of the majority of people are more important than the freedom of an individual," Lee, a former prime minister, said.

The total number of imported cases jumped by 34 to 101 on Tuesday, marking the biggest single-day rise so far.

The officials also discussed measures to promptly execute economic measures to cope with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

Lee said they agreed on the need to advance some orders for national projects to help businesses suffering from a sharp decrease in demand.

The party also asked the government to increase manpower and simplify procedures for its provision of financial relief for small enterprises and self-employed businessmen, he added.

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