Chinese runaway caught in Seoul after fleeing COVID isolation

Police on Thursday arrested a Chinese man who ran away from a quarantine hotel after testing positive for COVID-19.

Incheon Jungbu Police Station said the fugitive was caught in a hotel in Seoul at around 12:55 p.m. on Thursday.

The 41-year-old, who tested positive for COVID-19 at Incheon Airport after arriving from China, is accused of refusing quarantine and fleeing from a hotel in Yeongjong-do, Incheon, at around 10:04 p.m., Tuesday.

A hotel surveillance camera showed the man running away six minutes after a bus carrying COVID-positive travelers arrived at the hotel parking lot. He ran to a supermarket about 300 meters away from the hotel and took a taxi to Seoul, according to the police investigation.

A total of 42 police personnel were deployed to track the fugitive's whereabouts. Authorities will further investigate the reason why he fled and the route he took.

South Korea has tightened restrictions on travelers from China amid fears of a surge in infections after Beijing abandoned its zero-COVID policy. All passengers flying from China must submit a PCR test conducted two days prior to departure or provide a rapid antigen test result a day before boarding, health authorities announced last week. They are also required to get tested immediately upon arrival.