Coronavirus: Tourists sued by island for holidaying there instead of self isolating
A mother and daughter are facing a lawsuit from Jeju Island in South Korea after travelling there for a holiday amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The civil suit alleges the pair had travelled to the island, which is popular with tourists, for a holiday despite the fact that the daughter was already showing symptoms of Covid-19 and should have been following the government recommendation to self-isolate for 14 days.
The mother, 52, and daughter, 19, have both subsequently tested positive for coronavirus.
The plaintiffs, the Jeju Island Provincial Government as well as several individuals and businesses affected, are seeking a total of 130 million won (£86,331) in damages.
According to the lawsuit, the daughter, identified only as Ms A or defendant one, is a student at a university in Boston, Massachusetts, where there was local transmission of Covid-19 by 3 March.
With the university subsequently announcing its closure, Ms A decided to return to South Korea, arriving at Seoul’s Incheon Airport from New York on 15 March.
Ms A and her mother, identified as Ms B or defendant two, had initially planned to take a holiday to Hawaii, the lawsuit said. But after border closures, the destination was changed to Jeju.
Ms A and Ms B enjoyed a four-night, five-day holiday on Jeju Island between 20 and 24 March, where they went to all the major tourist attractions on the island.
Ms A was said to be experiencing symptoms of coronavirus at this point, including “chills, muscle pain, and sore throat”. Despite already receiving medical treatment for her symptoms, which had worsened, she continued her itinerary, the lawsuit said.
After returning to their home in Seoul, both tested positive for Covid-19 on 25 March.
The lawsuit said that as a result, the government had to close and disinfect 20 locations Ms A had visited, including the medical facility where she had received treatment on 23 March. In addition, 97 people (45 in the province and 52 from outside the province) were forced to self-isolate for 14 days after coming into contact with Ms A.
In a press statement, Jeju government added that Ms A “did not fulfil her obligations as a member of the social community”.
“I hope to send a strong warning against actions that threaten the deadly struggle of the medical workers, the endeavour of the disease prevention workers, and the participation of our people in their fight against coronavirus,” Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong said in a statement, CNN reports.
At present, South Korea has the second highest number coronavirus cases in the Western Pacific, according to the World Health Organisation’s latest report.
It’s not the only lawsuit that’s resulted from coronavirus.
An Austrian ski resort is facing a possible lawsuit from thousands of tourists amid allegations that they caught coronavirus after holidaying there.
Ischgl in the Tyrol region is already under investigation after hundreds of cases were traced back to the resort.
Authorities in Ischgl have been accused by the Austrian Consumer Protection Association (VSV) of acting too late in taking steps to stem the outbreak.
The VSV invited holidaymakers who’d been affected to register on its website.
Read more
What your rights are if your travels are cancelled due to coronavirus
Foreign Office indefinite travel ban: What it mean for holidaymakers
10 live-streaming experiences to help make-believe you’re on holiday
How do I get a refund with British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair?
Full list of repatriation flights available to stranded Britons
