Health authorities in South Korea announced on Sunday, June 13th, that some travelers who have received their Covid-19 vaccine shots overseas will be exempt from the mandatory two-week quarantine. The new rule will go into effect on July 1st.
This new policy will apply to citizens and foreign residents, as well as those coming to visit family, or for the purpose of business, academics or public interest, said Son Young-rae to CNN, an official with the Central Disaster Management Headquarters.
Travelers from countries with major outbreaks or variants will not be allowed to skip the quarantine
Son Young-rae, an official with the Central Disaster Management Headquarters
To be granted the exemption, travelers must have gotten one of the vaccines approved by the World Health Organization. They will also need to fill out an application, and still need to be tested before and after arriving in South Korea. Since May 5th, the quarantine exemption applies to people who had been fully vaccinated in South Korea.
According tot the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), as of June 13th, the country’s number of total infections is 148,273, while the death toll in the country stands at 1,988. Roughly 11.9 million people, or 24% of the country’s population, have received at least one dose of a vaccine.