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By Jun Ji-hye
The government has issued a set of travel guidelines amid the risk of the new coronavirus, advising people to be cautious when travelling to a range of destinations in and outside the country.
The guidelines, drawn up by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), are broken down into three sections: before, during and after travel.
For domestic travel, people are advised to choose less crowded destinations such as gardens, outdoor museums and lakes, and use private cars rather than public transportation.
Travelers should prepare facial masks and hand sanitizers in addition to personal cups and emergency medicine such as fever reducers.
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| A poster for travel guidelines drawn up by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Tourism Organization / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization |
People are advised to wear facial masks when visiting crowed areas, drink water frequently and avoid eating raw food.
They should avoid put their hands near their eyes, nose or mouth unless they have washed them, and wash their hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds after visiting public places.
They should break their journey immediately if symptoms, such as a fever, occur.
After travel, they are advised to visit http://ncov.mohw.go.kr to check updates on travel routes of confirmed coronavirus patients, and call the KCDC call center ― 1339 ― if any of their travel routes have overlapped those of confirmed patients, and symptoms occur.
Before going on overseas trips, people are advised to visit http://www.0404.go.kr operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that offers information of travel warnings. If necessary, people should get vaccinated against common diseases.
They should also prepare sufficient facial masks and hand sanitizers with a capacity under 50 milliliters that can be carried onto planes, and get traveler's insurance. They are advised to check the background of their destinations as some countries regard those wearing facial masks as criminals.
During their journeys, tourists should share their locations with their families or acquaintance frequently and avoid direct contact with wild animals.
They are also advised to refrain from eating street food and avoid physical contact such as handshakes with strangers.
After returning home, people need to check whether fever and other symptoms associated with the new coronavirus occur within 14 days. In case any symptoms are shown, they should report it to 1339 or public health centers in their regions.
When talking to medical staff, people should inform them that they have returned from an overseas trip.
