Hong Kong Bans Travelers from South Korea

Hong Kong has issued a travel ban for people coming from South Korea who are not Hong Kong residents. The new ban comes after the worsening coronavirus outbreak in the country. South Korea announced 231 new cases today, with the nationwide total surging past 830. More than half of those are associated with a branch of a religious group.

“From 6am on Tuesday, non-Hong Kong residents travelling from Korea and those who have been to the country in the past 14 days will be barred from entering Hong Kong,” Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-Chiu said at a press briefing on Monday night as per SCMP.

Those passengers that fly into Hong Kong before the ban goes into effect will undergo a health assessment if they have been in areas of South Korea when most new cases have been detected. People with visible Covid-19 symptoms will be sent to quarantine camp, while others would be placed under medical surveillance.

A total of six countries have already placed entry bans on South Koreans. That includes Jordan, Israel, Bahrain, Kiribati, Samoa and American Samoa. Israel has also issued a strong recommendation for its nationals in South Korea to return home.