The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has announced the launch of a pilot project starting on the 17th, aimed at allowing travelers arriving from overseas with respiratory infection symptoms to receive tests directly at the airport. Previously, tests were only possible if there was medical evidence of an infectious disease, but now travelers who exhibit symptoms such as fever or cough can receive free testing.
The KDCA is initiating the “Airport Traveler Respiratory Infection Testing Service Pilot Project” at Gimpo and Jeju airports. Previously, only travelers with confirmed epidemiological links to Class 1 quarantinable infectious diseases could get tested at the airport. However, with the new project, even in the absence of such links, travelers can voluntarily report symptoms and receive a free test before heading home. The diseases that can be tested include avian influenza in humans, COVID-19, and influenza virus infections.
Travelers displaying symptoms like fever, runny nose, or cough can request the testing service at the quarantine station upon disembarking from their flight. After confirming symptoms, quarantine officers will collect samples, and the travelers can proceed home. Test results will be sent to their mobile phones or email addresses after they leave the airport.
If a test result is positive, travelers will receive a positive confirmation certificate from the quarantine office, enabling them to receive national health insurance coverage at nearby medical institutions. The pilot project begins on the 17th. Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Ji Young-mi stated that through this pilot project, early detection of foreign infectious diseases and new or variant pathogens entering the country will be possible, allowing overseas entrants with suspected respiratory symptoms to access medical care promptly through quick testing at the quarantine stage.