South Korea imposes restrictions on travelers coming from China due to covid

South Korea took measures Friday to limit the number of arrivals from mainland China, imposing visa and testing restrictions and limiting flights, as Beijing faces a rise in the number of Covid-19 infections.

Seoul's decision comes after several countries, including Italy, Japan, India and the United States, announced their own procedures, through which they say they seek to avoid importing new variants of the Corona virus from China.

"Until February next year, people who want to enter (South Korea) from China will be required to take a COVID-19 test before and after their arrival," South Korean Prime Minister Han Duk-soo said Friday.

He explained that Seoul is "strengthening some anti-pandemic measures to prevent the spread of the virus in our country due to the worsening Covid situation in China."

Chinese hospitals were overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients after Beijing began reversing draconian measures that have hit the economy and sparked nationwide protests.

An increasing number of countries imposed restrictions on visitors from China after Beijing's decision to end mandatory quarantine upon arrival prompted many to book flights.

South Korea will also restrict the issuance of short-term visas to Chinese nationals, with the exception of government officials, diplomats and people coming for vital humanitarian and commercial purposes, until the end of January next year.

Han noted that Seoul has reduced the number of flights from China and all flights from the country will now have to land exclusively at Incheon, South Korea's main international airport.

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