South Korea has announced that it will be lifting travel restrictions for visitors from China starting next month. This move comes as the number of COVID-19 cases in China has decreased significantly in recent weeks. While visitors from China will still be required to undergo pre-departure testing, they will no longer be required to test for COVID-19 upon arrival in South Korea.
The decision to lift travel restrictions was made by South Korean officials after seeing a significant drop in the positive rate among arrivals from China. In the first week of January, the positive rate was at 18.4 percent, but it has since dropped to just 0.6 percent in the third week of February.
According to Kim Sung-ho, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the positive trend in COVID-19 cases among Chinese visitors is a promising sign that additional easing of quarantine measures is possible. The decision to lift travel restrictions is expected to have a positive impact on both countries’ economies, as China is South Korea’s largest trading partner.
This move is also expected to boost the struggling tourism industry in South Korea, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. With the lifting of travel restrictions, more Chinese tourists are expected to visit South Korea, which could provide a much-needed boost to the industry.
However, South Korean officials have also cautioned that the lifting of travel restrictions does not mean that the pandemic is over. They have urged visitors from China to continue practicing COVID-19 safety measures, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.
In addition to lifting travel restrictions for visitors from China, South Korea has also eased quarantine measures for travelers from other countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. Travelers from these countries are no longer required to undergo a 14-day quarantine period upon arrival in South Korea as long as they provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure.
At the start of the Pandemic, South Korea had some of the world’s strictest pandemic guidelines and had a nearly zero travel policy into the country. Many experts credit the country’s early adaptation of preventative measures as a reason why they were able to keep the cases low and the economy from collapsing during at the height of COVID-19.
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