COVID infected Chinese tourist caught in South Korea after fleeing quarantine center
A growing number of Chinese visitors to South Korea have tested positive for COVID-19
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South Korean police caught up to a Chinese man who escaped the country's mandatory quarantine upon testing positive for COVID-19 on arrival.
The man, who was described by police as in his 40s, disappeared after testing positive for COVID-19 upon arrival at Incheon Airport on Tuesday and managed to evade South Korean police until he was caught at a hotel on Thursday, according to Reuters.
"The person was found at a hotel in Seoul this afternoon," a police officer said.
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Quarantine officials seen preparing for a PCR test for travelers arriving from China in COVID-19 testing station at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Photo by Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The quarantine escape comes after South Korea joined several other countries around the world in requiring travelers from China to undergo a PCR test after China's decision to abandon its "zero-COVID" policy as cases continue to rise in the country.
South Korea also restricted short-term visas for Chinese nationals until the end of next month and limited flights coming in from China to just Incheon International Airport, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced earlier this week.
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Travelers who test positive for COVID-19 are subject to a mandatory quarantine period, part of the policy the Chinese passenger was temporarily able to avoid. He was put on a wanted list after he allegedly ran away while awaiting admission to quarantine, and he could face charges under South Korea's disease control law.
Arriving travelers seen at COVID-19 testing station at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Photo by Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Image)
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"We plan to investigate the individual once the mandatory isolation period is completed," police said.
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Penalties for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act could see the man serve up to one year in prison and pay fines up to 10 million won ($7,840), officials told Reuters.
Residents line up outside a pharmacy to buy antigen testing kits for the coronavirus disease, in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China Dec. 15, 2022. (REUTERS/File Photo)
South Korea has seen hundreds of Chinese travelers attempt to enter the country while testing positive for COVID-19 since earlier this week. South Korea has had 4,113 people arrive from China since Monday, with 239 of 917 test results showing positive. On Wednesday, 31.5% of the 327 passengers tested were positive for COVID-19.