S. Korea to apply enhanced quarantine on arrivals from 5 European countries

South Korea said Thursday that all people arriving in the country after visiting Germany and four other European countries will face strengthened quarantine starting next week as part of efforts to stem the inflow of the new coronavirus.

Starting Sunday, entrants from France, Germany, Spain, Britain and the Netherlands will be required to get fever checks and submit papers on their health condition, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

The strengthened measure came as many European countries are grappling with a spike in the novel coronavirus outbreak.

"Special entry measures are applied to those who have either visited or stayed at major European countries as COVID-19 is widely spreading in communities of the continent," said Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official who is in charge of quarantine work.

They are also required to download a smartphone application that will allow them to be put under supervision if they show symptoms, the KCDC said.

Also, the requirements will be applied to all people who arrive in South Korea via Dubai, Moscow and other cities after traveling to Europe in the previous two weeks.

Such requirements have been applied to people who have visited mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Iran and Italy.

The measures come as many European nations, particularly virus-hit Italy, have reported a spike in its new COVID-19 cases, prompting the health authorities here to raise their guard against further imported virus cases.

Italy's total number of infections stood at 12,462 as of Thursday, only second to China, with the death toll at 827. France has reported 2,281 virus patients with 48 deaths.

Spain is also struggling to contain the further spread of COVID-19 as its confirmed virus cases reached 2,140 with its death toll at 48.

Also, a number of South Korean nationals were infected with the novel coronavirus after trips to Europe.

A 28-year-old male, living in Uijeongbu, just north of Seoul, has tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting London and Paris, city government officials said.

The patient, who had traveled to the two European countries between Feb. 27 and Saturday, entered South Korea via the country's main gateway, Incheon International Airport, on Sunday, they said.

The city's second confirmed patient had no contacts besides his family after showing symptoms, they said.

The confirmed patient from the southern port city of Busan also had previously traveled across Europe for one month before being confirmed, city government officials said.

The 24-year-old patient previously stayed in various European countries and stayed in Italy for a relatively long time, they said.

The city government said it is recreating the exact travel route of the patient, and looking into whether he had a companion during the trip.

The city government of Suwon, just south of Seoul, also said its latest confirmed patient is a family member of the coronavirus-infected person who traveled to Italy last month.

A high-end fashion shop, BEAKER, located in the posh Gangsam district in southern Seoul, also closed its outlet after one of its employees tested positive for the virus, company officials said.

The confirmed patient had previously traveled to Berlin and Paris between Feb. 25 and Sunday before showing symptoms, they said.

President Donald Trump also said Wednesday (local time) that the United States will ban all travel from the continent for 30 days to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Travel restrictions have been in place for travel to and from China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, as well as Iran.

Trump, however, said the restriction will not be applied to the United Kingdom.

South Korea reported 114 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the nation's total infections to 7,869, said. So far, 66 people, mostly elderly patients with underlying illnesses, have died. (Yonhap)