The South Korean government has announced an extension of the suspension of short-term visas for Chinese citizens.

The picture shows Chinese passengers arriving at Incheon Airport in South Korea in mid-January, pushing their luggage through a screening station at the airport.

(Associated Press)

South Korea suspends issuing short-term visas for Chinese citizens until 228

[Compilation of Sun Yuqing/Comprehensive Report] As the local Wuhan pneumonia epidemic in China continues to spread, the South Korean authorities announced on the 27th that the suspension of short-term entry visas for Chinese citizens will be extended to February 28 to avoid the impact of potential infection waves after the local Lunar New Year.

Japan has decided to downgrade Wuhan pneumonia to the same level of infectious disease as seasonal flu starting from May 8; and Hong Kong does not rule out gradually canceling epidemic prevention measures such as mask orders from the middle of next month.

More than half of South Korea's overseas immigration in the past two weeks came from China

South Korea’s Central Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters suspended the issuance of short-term entry visas to Chinese citizens on January 2, citing the severity of the epidemic in China, except for diplomatic, business, and humanitarian needs. The original period of the measure was 31 days.

The Ministry stated that the current epidemic prevention situation in South Korea is good, but the possibility of imported confirmed cases after the Spring Festival and the re-spread of the epidemic cannot be completely ruled out. Therefore, relevant measures will be extended to February 28.

If the epidemic situation in China stabilizes, visa issuance may also be restarted in advance.

In response to China's possible escalation of retaliatory measures, South Korea's foreign ministry reiterated that it will closely communicate with Beijing, and that all Chinese measures should be "only based on epidemic prevention reasons."

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South Korea's official data shows that in the past two weeks, 1,404 cases were imported from abroad, and 890 cases came from China.

From the 2nd, on-site inspections of short-term Chinese immigrants were conducted, and the positive rate among 6,900 people was 10.

Four%.

The daily reduction of Wuhan pneumonia and influenza is not mandatory to wear masks

At the same time, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on the 27th that the Infectious Diseases Group of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare made a final decision to lower the classification level of Wuhan pneumonia from the second category, which is the same level as tuberculosis and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), to the same level as The fifth category is the same as the seasonal flu, and the date is set on May 8 after the Golden Week holiday, so that relevant government units and medical institutions have sufficient time to prepare. At that time, social and economic activities will return to normal, and wearing masks indoors and outdoors will not be mandatory. , the movement of infected persons and close contacts is no longer restricted, and overseas people are expected to enter the country without submitting PCR reports or undergoing quarantine at all.

"Kyodo News" also quoted sources as saying that the Kishida government is expected to decide on the amount and validity of the subsidy in March regarding the treatment costs of the infected.

Hong Kong plans to lift mask order in phases from mid-February

In addition, Liu Yulong, an expert advisor to the Hong Kong government on epidemic prevention, said in an interview that the number of local confirmed cases is gradually decreasing. Although there may be occasional repetitions in the future, they will not continue to rise. It is recommended to cancel the mask order in stages from mid to late February. High-risk places such as hospitals should not be canceled for the time being.

Another government adviser, Yuan Guoyong, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, believes that the mask order should be lifted after the temperature rises above 20 degrees Celsius in March and April.

The number of deaths from the epidemic in various parts of China is too large to count

Covering up the epidemic in various parts of China has repeatedly become the focus.

Chen Heyang, a person close to the civil affairs department in Wuhan, revealed to Radio Free Asia that in the Huangpi district of the city with a population of about 900,000, more than 5,000 people died of pneumonia or related complications within one month, much higher than in China. Figures released by the authorities.

He mentioned that the authorities do not disclose the number of deaths from the epidemic outside the hospital, but it is clear at a glance as long as the funeral expenses issued by the Civil Affairs Bureau are checked.

Another Wuhan resident surnamed Tian said that the previous official announcement of nearly 60,000 deaths within a month was only the number of formal medical institutions.