Chinese escapee from quarantine facility nabbed in Seoul

SEOUL: A Chinese man who escaped a government-designated quarantine facility for foreigners two days ago after testing positive for COVID-19 upon entering South Korea was apprehended in Seoul on Thursday, police said.

Police said they caught the 41-year-old man hiding in a Seoul hotel at 12.55 pm.

The Chinese national had refused to enter a hotel designated by health authorities as a temporary foreign quarantine accommodation in Incheon, west of Seoul, before going missing at 10.04 pm Tuesday, according to Yonhap news agency.

He tested positive for the virus after undergoing a PCR test conducted at the country's main gateway, Incheon International Airport.

Starting Monday, all arrivals from China are obliged to undergo a PCR test within the first day of their entry. Those who test positive for COVID-19 must be quarantined for one week.

Closed-circuit TV footage showed the man was last seen at a supermarket located around 300 metres away from the Incheon hotel early Wednesday.

Police plan to investigate the reason for his escape and his travel route to Seoul after taking him to Incheon.

-- BERNAMA