A woman takes a selfie near the Gwanghwamun, the main gate of the 14th-century Gyeongbok Palace and also one of South Korea’s well known landmarks, in Seoul
The Health Bureau (SSM) on Saturday has lowered the severity of its response to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) from a high-level alert to that of “close monitoring,” whilst the Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) withdrew its recommendation for local citizens to avoid travelling to South Korea.
Judging that “the risk of residents and visitors contracting the deadly virus has reduced,” the SSM revoked measures implemented under the high-level alert, which included body temperature checks at the cabin door for passengers arriving from Korea; the mandatory wearing of masks for those visiting medical institutions; the increased stringency of detection measures for suspected cases of fever and respiratory symptoms; and the deployment of test personnel around the clock.
Health authorities in Macau and Hong Kong lifted the high-level alert simultaneously, as Korea – which suffered an intensive MERS breakout from May to July – recorded no new infections in the 28 days since the last confirmed patient was quarantined.
The SSM explained that the maximum incubation period for the MERS virus is 14 days, which means the recent breakout in Korea has “basically ended.” Macau’s travel agencies have since re-launched tour packages to Korea and tours may start operating in mid-August.
However, the GGCT has still reminded visitors to Korea to adhere to recommendations of the health authorities and to continue to monitor personal hygiene. “The reason why we still retain the response level of ‘close monitoring’ is that Macau may still be affected by the continuous spread of MERS in the Middle East region,” stated the SSM. BY
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