[ソウル ４日 ロイター] – South Korean authorities announced on the 4th that they were tracing a Chinese national who tested positive for the new coronavirus upon arrival and disappeared while waiting in a quarantine facility.
A South Korean health official said the person tested positive for the coronavirus after arriving at Incheon International Airport near Seoul on Wednesday and was transferred to a nearby hotel to await isolation before disappearing into the rice paddy.
The man is on the wanted list and could face up to a year in prison or a 10 million won ($7,840) fine if found guilty of violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. “This person will be deported and barred from entering the country for a period of time,” a South Korean health official told a news conference.
Starting this week, South Korea will require travelers from China to undergo a PCR test upon arrival. From 5 May it will be possible to submit a negative PCR test result up to 48 hours before departure or an antigen test up to 24 hours before departure.
A total of 2,189 people have arrived in South Korea from China since 2. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), 136 people, or more than 20%, have so far tested positive in 590 tests.
