Surge in imported cases alarms health officials

A National Museum of Korea official carries out temperature checks of visitors, Sunday, as a precaution to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The museum in Seoul reopened last Wednesday. / Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

The health authorities are keeping their guard up against a surge in COVID-19 infections among people arriving from abroad as the number of new daily imported cases has become much higher than that of locally transmitted infections in recent days.

The rise in imported cases has been mainly attributed to infections in Russian sailors and Korean workers returning home from Iraq.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said Sunday that the country added 58 new cases Saturday, taking the nation's total caseload to 14,150.

Of those, 46 were imported cases, nearly four times the 12 local infections. Among the 46, 38 were Korean workers evacuated from Iraq.

New infections dropped to under 60 a day after the country recorded its highest figure in nearly four months, but the authorities said they are still on high alert as new daily cases could soar again at any time.

On Friday, the country saw 113 new cases including 86 that were imported, nearly triple the 27 local infections. This was the first time for the daily cases to exceed 100 since April 1.

Of the 86 ― 36 Korean workers from Iraq, 32 sailors on a Russian fishing vessel docked in Busan and 18 others ― 81 were detected at airports or seaports, while five tested positive during their 14-day self-quarantine period.

Imported cases that day were the highest since Korea reported its first COVID-19 patient, Jan. 20.

Two Korean military planes arrived back home Friday, carrying 293 Korean workers from Iraq amid the worsening situation there regarding the virus outbreak.

“The government will carry out COVID-19 risk assessments on countries on a regular basis, and take timely and necessary steps, including isolation, in a bid to stem the inflow of the coronavirus from overseas,” KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Joon-wook said during a media briefing.

The authorities are also keeping a watchful eye on locally transmitted infections as new cases have continued to break out sporadically nationwide.

Meanwhile, the death toll remained unchanged at 298.