80% of Infections Occur in the Seoul Metropolitan Area... 'Special Quarantine' Measures Tightened for 2 Weeks

Seoul and Metropolitan Area Expand Preemptive Testing
Mobile Clinics in Academy-Dense Areas

Quarantine Exemption Restrictions for Vaccinated Individuals from India, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.

The government will conduct special quarantine inspections centered on the metropolitan area for two weeks next month in line with the introduction of new social distancing measures. Countries such as India and Indonesia have been added to the list of countries where quarantine exemption is restricted, even for those who have completed vaccination overseas and enter for humanitarian purposes. This is to tighten quarantine measures again, focusing on the metropolitan area where nearly 80% of recent domestic confirmed cases have been concentrated, in response to the spread of COVID-19 variants and the application of the new distancing system.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Two-week special quarantine measures in the metropolitan area = On the 29th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters discussed the ‘Metropolitan Area Special Quarantine Measures’ with Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province and decided to operate a special quarantine inspection period for two weeks. First, Seoul will expand preemptive testing and conduct focused inspections on facilities frequently used by young and middle-aged people. The operating hours of public health center screening clinics in Seoul on weekdays and weekends/holidays will be extended from the previous 5-6 PM to 9 PM. In case of cluster infections, on-site screening clinics will be installed immediately for testing, and support will be provided to establish dedicated medical teams.

For academy workers and students, mobile screening clinics will be set up in densely populated academy areas to actively encourage testing of symptomatic individuals. In addition, entertainment facilities, restaurants, and cafes frequently used by unvaccinated young people will be closely monitored for compliance with operating hour restrictions and the ban on private gatherings of seven or more people.

Incheon will also conduct special inspections and take strict follow-up actions such as one-strike-out for violations. Gyeonggi Province will conduct weekly preemptive testing for vulnerable sectors such as entertainment facilities and academy instructors.

Regarding quarantine exemption for overseas vaccinated individuals entering for humanitarian purposes from next month, the government has added variant-affected countries. In addition to India and Indonesia, where the Delta variant is rapidly spreading, Pakistan and the Philippines are also included, making a total of four countries. Among the top five countries from which major variants have been introduced into Korea, all except Hungary have been newly designated this time. These countries restrict the issuance of quarantine exemption certificates even for vaccinated individuals, and quarantine exemption upon entry into Korea is not granted.

◆ Delta variant emergency just before new distancing measures = The decision to strengthen quarantine measures in the metropolitan area appears to be based on the assessment that the spread of COVID-19 is not subsiding despite the new social distancing system easing just two days away. In particular, there is concern about the possibility of the highly transmissible Delta variant (Indian variant) spreading mainly in the metropolitan area.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 29th at midnight that the daily new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were 595. This is 200 more than the 394 cases reported a week earlier on the 22nd. Although hopeful analyses suggested that the epidemic was gradually subsiding after the number of confirmed cases reached the 300s for the first time in 77 days on the 14th, concerns have grown again as the number of confirmed cases remained in the 500s for two consecutive days on the 28th and 29th, which are early weekdays when cases usually decrease due to the weekend effect.

Local transmission cases are also continuously increasing. The average number of local confirmed cases over the recent week (June 23-29) was 570.9, including 560 cases on the day. The number had decreased to the 400s in mid-June, showing a slight decline, but is now rising sharply again.

Particularly concerning is that recent confirmed cases are concentrated in the metropolitan area. Of the 3,996 local confirmed cases in the past week, 3,057 cases (76.5%) occurred in the metropolitan area. The average number of local confirmed cases in the metropolitan area over the past week was 436.7. If the spread increases slightly more, it could reach the level of 500 cases on average, which is the criterion for level 3. Although the metropolitan area will apply level 2 of the new social distancing system from the 1st of next month, a two-week transition period limiting private gatherings to six people or fewer has been set based on this background.

Moreover, the spread of the Delta variant is also serious. During the past week (June 20-26), the number of Delta variant confirmed cases was 73, more than double the 35 cases from the previous week, showing a ‘doubling’ phenomenon. The proportion of Delta variant cases among all variant detections also increased significantly from 13.4% the previous week to 27.3%.

All four cluster infection cases of the Delta variant confirmed last week occurred in the metropolitan area. Although only six people were confirmed infected with the Delta variant through these cases, including ‘epidemiologically related cases,’ the total number of infections is 37. Park Young-jun, head of the epidemiological investigation team at the Central Disease Control Headquarters, explained, "Currently, small cluster infection cases of the Delta variant are being confirmed through family trips and acquaintances’ gatherings in Gyeonggi Province and acquaintances’ gatherings in the metropolitan area. The geographic spread of the Delta variant has widened compared to before, and we are closely monitoring and tracking these cases."

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