Gov't to strengthen measures to reduce imported cases of COVID-19

정부, "해외유입 입국 검역 강화"... "외국인 확진자에 치료비 부과"The number of imported COVID-19 cases in South Korea has been a cause for concerns for local authorities with figures fluctuating wildly over the past few weeks.To address such concerns, the government has announced new measures to block the spread of the coronavirus from overseas into local communities.Kim Mok-yeon has the details.Korea's Central Disease Control Headquarters will strengthen quarantine measures on visitors from high-risk nations to help reduce the number imported COVID-19 cases."Beginning today, visitors from enlisted countries will be required to get tested upon arrival and again two weeks after their quarantine period."Authorities have limited visa issuance and flight services to high-risk nations, such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, and have made it mandatory for visitors from those countries to submit negative COVID-19 test results.Regarding the foreign ship cluster infections, KCDC says it will only allow crewmen who have tested negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours of arrival to disembark."We plan to limit who can disembark by conducting checks on every crew member, and only allowing those who tested negative to make it onto land."Also, to reduce the nation's financial burden, the government will amend legislation that will result in foreign coronavirus patients being charged for partial or the entire cost of their COVID-19 treatment.Until recently, the government had been covering treatment fees for foreigners who were confirmed with the virus in South Korea...estimated to be at least five-thousand U.S. dollars per patient.But with figures rising, the government is looking to implement a 'reciprocal system' where it will cover medical costs for visitors who come from countries which also do the same for Koreans.Meanwhile, South Korea saw 16 new imported cases Monday, out of a total of 25 new COVID-19 transmissions - the first time in a week the figure was below 30.This brings the nation's total to fourteen-thousand-one-hundred-75.One additional death has been reported,...raising the death toll to two-hundred-99.Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.