[Anchor]
South Korea says all incoming travelers will undergo fever checks at their departure airports from Monday.
The move comes as the number of imported COVID-19 cases has recently been on a steady rise.
Sehhyeong Kim reports.
[Reporter]
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the decision was made by Seoul's transport ministry on Friday as part of efforts to block imported cases of the novel coronavirus.
The fever checks will be conducted by individual airlines.
They will ban passengers from boarding flights if their body temperature is 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher.
If they are turned away, flights will be refunded.
Outbound passengers are also being tested for fever at Incheon International Airport - at entrances, check-in counters and boarding gates.
However, some critics are venting frustration, arguing it is time to ban all foreigners from entering the country.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has responded by calling the idea extreme, pointing out that over 90 percent of imported COVID-19 cases have been Korean nationals.
Sehhyeong Kim, eFM News.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
