Seoul August 31, : South Korea will suspend its current Covid-19 testing requirement for travelers who are coming into the country in the coming week, since the government believes that the recent virus outbreak has reached its highest point and that the spread of Omicron may slow down an official said on Wednesday.The new rule , which will be in effect on Saturday comes following a state-wide advisory committee on infectious diseases suggested the government to end the mandatory prior-travel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests required for all inbound travelers, according to Yonhap News Agency.
“All travelers, whether foreigners or nationals, who board an aircraft or ship do not have to turn in an PCR test that is negative from midnight of September 3.” Second Vice Health Minister Lee Kiil said in a meeting to discuss the response to virus.
The new rule will be applicable to all visitors regardless of their vaccination status or their destination country of departure.
In the moment, travellers who are entering the country must present the negative result within the first 48 hours of their PCR tests or within 24 hours of their quick antigen tests in order to be allowed into the country.
Travel industry and travel critics have demanded that the requirements be canceled, citing the low effectiveness of the tests, which often aren’t accurate and impose costs for individual travelers.
They also mentioned other countries that have lifted the test obligation.
“The virus is declining in other countries, and we’ve confirmed a decrease in the span of nine weeks.” Peck Kyong Ran, the commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
“The decision is in line with the trend worldwide of stopping the negative PCR test, but we will swiftly tighten the process of entry in the case of another outbreak of the variant,” Peck said.
Travelers must still undergo an PCR test within the first 24 hours of their arrival in South Korea, a “minimum measure” implemented in place to stop the spread of any variants imported from abroad.
Antigen tests that are rapid are not accepted.
The day before, South Korea reported 103,961 new Covid cases comprising 458 cases coming from abroad The total number of cases to 23,246,398 according to the KDCA reported.
The country has added 75 deaths from Covid-19 which put the death toll at 26,764.
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