South Korea imposed several border measures on passengers from China after Beijing’s resolution to lift its strict zero COVID policy, however, Seoul eased restrictions, which brought an improvement in COVID in the neighboring country.
“Further relaxation of quarantine measures is conceivable, as the positive rate among arrivals from China rose from 18. 4 percent in the first week of January to 0. 6 percent in the third week of February,” said Kim Sung-ho, South Korea’s vice minister. The Interior and Security Ministry said Wednesday at an assembly on responses to the COVID pandemic.
Mandatory pre-departure PCR for passengers arriving from China will remain in place until March 10, Kim said, to monitor and evaluate the effects of relaxing other COVID rules.
South Korea has in the past resumed issuing short-term visas for travelers from China, followed by Beijing in lifting visa restrictions imposed in an earlier retaliatory measure against Seoul’s border restrictions.