Korea temporarily suspends visa-free entry to Jeju amid nCoV threat

People wearing face masks take a photo next to a 'no tourists' sign amid concern over the spread of the SARS-like virus, at the main entrance of a university in Seoul on February 4, 2020. South Korea has confirmed 16 cases of the SARS-like virus so far and placed nearly 130 people in quarantine for detailed checks amid growing public alarm.
AFP/Jung Yeon-je

MANILA, Philippines — Visa-free travel to Jeju island in South Korea has

been temporarily cancelled amid the deadly novel coronavirus (2019-

nCoV) outbreak, the Bureau of Immigration said Friday.

In a release, Port Operations Divisions chief Grifton Medina said the Korean Embassy in Manila informed the bureau of the new travel ban policy on Monday that it was temporarily suspending the visa-free entry to the South Korean island.

The temporary suspension was announced a day after the Philippine government announced its first fatality

due to the deadly virus. It was also the first death

outside China, ground zero of the 2019-

nCoV.

Medina said that

immigration officers have already been instructed to not allow Filipinos bound for Jeju to depart “unless

the passenger was issued a visa by the Korean embassy.”

Immigration said that the suspension of the visa-free privileges for travelers bound to Jeju

does not only cover Filipino travelers.

Jeju Tourism Organization said in a Facebook post that the South Korean island province will now require travel visas from 61 other countries

 as well.

This temporary measure is aimed at stopping any new coronavirus infections in the province and mainland, by strengthening entry procedures,” the post read.

The latest figures post that there are 24 confirmed cases of the 2019-

nCoV in South Korea.

There are 31,161 people infected with the virus in China, with 636 deaths.

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