By Lee Hana and Lee Jihae

From March 22, passengers arriving from Europe must get diagnostic testing for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to prevent imported cases of the coronavirus. Subsidies or grants will also be paid to foreigners in Korea for long-term stay who stay quarantined. 

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on March 20 said in a regular news briefing that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is surging in European countries like Italy, Spain, Germany, France and the U.K., and that the new measures will be implemented in response to the rising number of confirmed cases among arrivals from abroad.

Health authorities said all entrants from Europe will have to sign health forms, get their body temperature checked and be categorized as either symptomatic or asymptomatic. Those with symptoms will be sent to quarantine facilities and those without will go to temporary accommodations and undergo testing for COVID-19.

Those testing positive will either be sent to hospitals or treatment centers depending on the severity of their symptoms. Korean nationals or foreigners staying long term who test negative must be quarantined for 14 days at home or in other accommodations. Those without a home or accommodations in Korea will stay at a quarantine facility, and foreigners on short-term stays will receive phone calls from health authorities during their time here and be monitored.

Foreigners on long-term stays who stay quarantined will receive subsidies or paid leave.

Foreign arrivals from Europe who are quarantined for more than 14 days will receive a subsidy of KRW 450,000 a month per person.

Yoon Tae-ho, a senior Health and Welfare Ministry official, told a regular briefing on March 20, "Most foreigners who came to Korea for long-term stay have lodgings. Be it quarantine at home or a quarantine facility, each person will receive KRW 450,000." 

"If their employers are subsidizing their paid leave, the payment for that will go to their employers, as this applies to Korean nationals as well."

hlee10@korea.kr