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| Visitors wearing face masks as a precaution against the new coronavirus walk inside Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Over 70 countries are imposing entry restrictions and stricter quarantine procedures for South Koreans due to coronavirus concerns, data from the foreign ministry showed Saturday, as the virus is spreading rapidly here, with cases of infection nearing 3,000.
As of early Saturday, 33 countries have barred the entry of South Koreans and foreigners who visited here in the past few weeks, up from the 30, according to the ministry's website
Malaysia and Lebanon were the latest to enforce the measure. Kyrgyzstan will begin to impose entry bans Sunday, stepping up its restrictions and tougher quarantine procedures.
Thirty-seven countries and parts of China have tougher quarantine processes, most of which require a 14-day mandatory stay in quarantine and close monitoring. Several Eastern European countries have joined the move, including Latvia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
Many of these countries have added China, Japan, Singapore and Italy ― where major outbreaks of the virus have occurred ― to their quarantine lists.
Shanghai and eight provinces in China have stricter quarantine processes for all international passengers and those coming from South Korea and Japan.
South Korea has issued an advisory asking its own people to reconsider or delay any planned trip to countries that have imposed entry restrictions, citing the inconvenience or safety issues that may occur.
Early Saturday, Seoul issued a "navy" travel alert, the lowest on a four-level scale, for all of Japan, advising its citizens to take precautions. The Fukushima region is currently under a higher alert following the 2011 nuclear disaster.
Japan has reported at least 900 infections from the coronavirus, most of which were from a quarantined cruise ship in Yokohama.
On Saturday morning, South Korea added 594 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total infections to 2,931, with 16 deaths. (Yonhap)
