South Korea announces requirements for travelers from China

Seoul, Dec 30 (EFE).- South Korea announced Friday that it will require multiple Covid-19 tests for travelers arriving from China and that it will restrict the issuance of short-stay visas after the neighboring country, where cases have skyrocketed, ends its strict quarantine policy.

Anyone arriving from China must undergo a PCR test at least 48 hours before flying or an antigen test in the 24 hours prior to the trip and will not be able to board unless the result is negative, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said in a statement Friday.

In addition, they must undergo another PCR test within 24 hours of landing in South Korea and undergo a seven-day quarantine period if they test positive, according to the battery of measures presented Friday and that will be activated on Jan. 2 until at least Feb. 28.

Those coming from the neighboring country will also be required to fill out an electronic travel form to be allowed entry.

South Korea will also restrict, at least until the end of January, the granting of short-stay visas to Chinese citizens, excluding diplomats and public officials or those traveling on humanitarian grounds or for essential business trips.

Regarding flights between China and South Korea, the opening of new routes and frequencies will also be frozen for the moment and all flights originating in the neighboring country must land at Incheon International Airport, which serves Seoul, in order to centralize all quarantine mechanisms.

South Korea thus joins other countries such as the United States, Japan and Italy, which have activated restrictions on travelers from China due to the large number of cases in the country and fear of the introduction of new variants. EFE

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