The mandatory PCR test for all inbound passengers in Korea on their first day of arrival will be lifted from Oct. 1.
Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Ki-il, who is concurrently first general coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, on Sept. 30 told a meeting of the headquarters at Government Complex-Seoul, "From Oct. 1, PCR tests for all arriving passengers on their first day of arrival will be lifted."
This means the removal of all quarantine measures related to COVID-19 for inbound passengers such as mandatory isolation for inbound travelers and submission of a negative result from a PCR test before arrival.
Vice Minister Lee said, "We considered the lowering of the infection rate of arriving passengers from overseas from 1.3% in August to 0.9% in September and the recently lowered fatality rate of the BA.5 subvariant."
"Those who show related symptoms within three days after arrival can receive a free PCR test at a public health center," he added. "We will consider reintroducing quarantine measures if stronger immigration control is needed in the event of the outbreak of a highly fatal variant."
By Xu Aiying
xuaiy@korea.kr