[1/4] Chinese tourists walk into coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing centre upon their arrival at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, January 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji
SEOUL, Jan 4 (Reuters) – South Korean authorities said on Wednesday they were trying to track down a Chinese national who tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival but went missing while waiting at a quarantine facility.
The person tested positive after arriving at Incheon International Airport near Seoul late on Tuesday and was transferred to a hotel to await admission to quarantine, but then went missing, a health official said.
The individual, who was not identified, has been placed on a wanted list, the official, Kim Joo-young, said.
The person could be subject to up to one year in prison, or 10 million won ($7,840) in fines, if convicted of violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, he said.
"The person would be deported and banned from entering the country for a certain period of time," Kim told a media briefing.
On Tuesday, South Korea announced mandatory coronavirus tests on Chinese arrivals, joining a growing list of countries imposing restrictions amid concern over a wave of infections following China's decision to lift stringent zero-COVID policies.
Starting this week, South Korea required travellers from China to undergo a PCR test upon arrival. From Jan. 5, arrivals can submit a negative result from a PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before departure, or a negative rapid antigen test no more than 24 hours before departure.
A total of 2,189 people have arrived from China since Jan. 2 and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said 590 test results showed that 136 people, or 22.7% of them, were infected with COVID.
On Tuesday, 26% of 281 people tested produced a positive result, agency data showed.
The case of the missing Chinese national triggered questions in the media about South Korea's control of infected inbound travellers.
Kim, the health official, said it was a "disgrace" that authorities could not prevent such an incident.
"Going forward, we will dispatch more personnel including police to prevent this from recurring," he said.
The case also fuelled public debate on restrictions on people arriving from China.
"There needs to be more restrictions," said Lee Jae-moon, 30, waiting for someone to arrive at Incheon airport. "Today's incident underlines the seriousness of the situation."
But another South Korean, Won Mi-kyong, 51, disagreed saying China was an important economic partner and South Korea should "open the door wider" to its people.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Japan's real wages in November fell 3.8% from a year earlier, their fastest rate in more than eight years, as inflation undercut workers' pay, dealing a blow to policymakers' hopes of achieving faster economic growth led by higher wages.
Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.
Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology.
The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs.
The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals.
Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile.
Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts.
Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks.
All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.
© 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved
