Police are tracking down two Russians who escaped from a COVID-19 treatment center in North Chungcheong Province, violating their quarantine requirement, according to the North Chungcheong Provincial Office Friday.

The undocumented foreigners in their 30s were quarantined in separate rooms on the fourth floor of the facility located in Jangan-myeon, Boeun-gun, sources said.

They sneaked out of their rooms at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday and met secretly at a vacant room on the same floor. Using ripped up curtains to form a long rope, the two made their escape through a window.
It was around 9 a.m. when the center’s managerial staff realized the foreigners had gotten out of the facility as they weren’t answering any phone calls.

The two remained at large as of Friday morning. Local police officers are tracking down the Russians by monitoring footage from surveillance cameras installed near the center.

Before they were admitted to the treatment center on March 4 and 7, one of the illegal immigrants was recently released from prison, while the other was detained at Cheongju Foreigners Shelter after being fined and ordered to be deported from Korea, according to the sources.

Under the Infectious Disease Prevention Act, those who leave designated quarantine sites without approval from local governments can be sentenced up to one year in prison or fined up to 10 million won ($8,000).

By Choi Jae-hee (cjh@heraldcorp.com)