Most people who catch Covid-19 in Korea will be forced to shoulder a greater personal burden after the virus is downgraded on Thursday, marking the end of large-scale state support and monitoring of patients.
The Chinese government lifted mandatory PCR tests for all arrivals from Korea on Friday.
According to the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Saturday, 1,982 people arrived from China. Of those, 345 people were on short-term visas. Seven tested positive.
The indoor mask mandate could be lifted right after the New Year holidays, which end on Jan. 24.
One in seven short-term travelers from China who were tested for the coronavirus at Incheon International Airport on Saturday turned out positive, nearly half the infection rate compared to a few days earlier when entry regulations were weaker.
A 41-year-old Chinese man who escaped quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus at Incheon International Airport was nabbed at a hotel in downtown Seoul on Thursday afternoon.
Just days after new Covid restrictions were imposed on Chinese arrivals, loopholes are already being discovered in quarantine facilities, data systems and at local government offices handling the arrivals.
Travelers from Hong Kong and Macau will have to submit negative Covid-19 test results before boarding flights to Korea starting Saturday.
More than 1,000 people traveling from China landed at Incheon International Airport on Monday as new Covid-19 restrictions for Chinese arrivals went into effect.
The mandatory on-arrival PCR test for international travelers was lifted on Saturday, ending the last major Covid regulation for people coming to Korea.
Korea JoongAng Daily Sitemap
