If You Refuse Infectious Disease Diagnosis, Reporting Becomes Possible

Gangbuk-gu Public Health Center Screening Clinic

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] In the future, if a person suspected of having a new infectious disease, including COVID-19, refuses diagnostic testing, there will be a legal basis to report the suspected patient.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 23rd that it has publicly notified the draft amendments to the Enforcement Decree and Enforcement Rules of the "Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act," which include these provisions, until early next month. The amendments allow doctors and others to report to public health centers when suspected infectious disease patients refuse diagnostic tests, preventing cases of refusal during COVID-19 response. Additionally, specific methods and procedures for self-quarantine and facility quarantine were established, including notifying the quarantine subjects and their guardians when isolating suspected patients or contacts.

When information such as the movement routes of infectious disease patients is disclosed, if the disclosed information is incorrect or if there are objections, individuals can file objections in writing, orally, or via information and communication networks. If the content is valid, the quarantine authorities are required to take necessary measures such as correcting the disclosed information. Medical institutions will be required to conduct mandatory investigations on infection control and infectious disease status every three years and publish the results on websites.

Furthermore, it is now mandatory for cities, counties, and districts with populations over 100,000 to have at least one epidemiological investigator. When an infectious disease crisis alert is issued at the "caution" level or higher, masks will be provided to vulnerable groups such as social welfare facility users, children (12 years old and under), the elderly (65 years old and above), pregnant women, and those with underlying health conditions.

In addition, to strengthen management of high-risk pathogens, a possession permit system has been introduced for biological terrorism infectious disease pathogens (plague, anthrax, botulinum toxin, Yersinia pestis, Ebola virus, Lassa virus, Marburg virus, smallpox virus). To prepare for vaccine supply instability for diseases such as tuberculosis and poliomyelitis, producers and importers of essential vaccination drugs are now obligated to report production and import plans, performance, and any plan changes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.