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SEOUL: An Indonesian sailor emerged from a South Korean quarantine facility by breaking a wall a day before he would serve a mandatory two weeks in isolation, a health official said Wednesday (October 7).
“The person tested negative for the coronavirus and showed no symptoms during the period of isolation,” Health Ministry spokesman Son Young-rae told reporters.
Authorities suspected that the man, who had entered the country on a boat crew visa, was intent on staying in South Korea illegally, as there were several similar incidents involving Vietnamese nationals in recent months, authorities said. .
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All people arriving in South Korea from abroad must undergo two weeks of isolation to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, regardless of whether they have symptoms of COVID-19.
In March, the country’s Health Ministry warned that it would deport foreigners and that South Korean citizens could face jail for violating self-quarantine rules following a surge in imported coronavirus cases.
The Korea Disease Prevention and Control Agency reported 114 new infections on Tuesday at midnight, bringing the national count to 24,353 cases, with 425 deaths.
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This is the first daily increase of more than 100 cases in a week in South Korea. Health officials had expressed concern that infections would increase due to increased travel during the five-day Chuseok harvest holiday that ended. on Sunday.
Ninety-two of the newly confirmed cases occurred in the Seoul metropolitan area, which has been at the center of a viral resurgence since mid-August.
Health officials have been struggling to trace the linked transmissions to various locations, including hospitals, churches, restaurants and an army unit in Pocheon, north of Seoul, where 37 soldiers have so far tested positive.
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