From July 1, Non-Contact Visits Allowed at Long-Term Care Hospitals and Facilities (Update)

Restrictions on Physical Contact and Food Consumption Between Patients and Visitors

On the afternoon of the 8th of last month, a visitor is talking with a hospitalized family member through a glass door at a nursing hospital in Hyeongyeong-myeon, Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] The government has decided to allow limited visits to nursing hospitals and nursing facilities, which had been banned since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

Yoon Taeho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine team, announced at a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 26th, "Limited non-contact visits to nursing hospitals and nursing facilities will be implemented starting in July."

Previously, after a surge in domestic COVID-19 cases, the government urged people to refrain from entering nursing hospital facilities, where many elderly people vulnerable to infection reside. Since March, visits were completely banned to strengthen quarantine management.

However, as the COVID-19 situation prolonged, concerns were raised that patients and residents unable to meet their families were experiencing feelings of isolation and depression. In response, while maintaining strong infection prevention measures at these facilities, from July 1st, visits will be allowed in a 'non-contact' manner in separate visiting areas after prior reservation.

The visiting areas will be set up separately at facility entrances or conducted outdoors. Visitors must sanitize their hands before entry, wear masks and vinyl gloves, and undergo thorough screening for COVID-19 symptoms such as fever.

During visits, transparent barriers such as glass doors or vinyl partitions will be installed to thoroughly block infection risks, and physical contact or food consumption between patients and visitors will be restricted.

Regarding this, Yoon said, "Whether visits are allowed can be independently decided by city and provincial governors depending on the regional infection rates," adding, "The level of visits may be adjusted according to changes in the situation and social distancing stages."

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