Full-scale Response to Omicron... Concern Over 130,000 to 170,000 Confirmed Cases by the End of This Month

Confirmed Cases Over 30,000 for Three Consecutive Days
Transition to Omicron-Specific Quarantine System
Focused Monitoring on High-Risk Groups

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Ki Ha-young] The government expects up to 170,000 new COVID-19 cases this month and will reorganize home treatment management to focus on high-risk groups such as patients aged 60 and over and those aged 50 and over with underlying conditions. Health monitoring and the provision of home treatment kits, including oxygen saturation meters, will be supported only for these high-risk groups. Patients in the general management group will be managed through non-face-to-face medical consultations and counseling center consultations as needed, without regular monitoring.

On the 7th, the government held a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting at the Government Seoul Office, chaired by President Moon Jae-in, to discuss the "Omicron Wave Response Quarantine and Medical System Measures" containing these details.

The government stated, "Although new cases are predicted to reach between 130,000 and 170,000 by the end of this month, the Omicron variant is characterized by lower severity and fatality rates, with many asymptomatic and mild cases. Therefore, it is necessary to reorganize into an Omicron-tailored quarantine and medical system that focuses on preventing severe illness and death among high-risk groups and enables cooperative responses between the government and private sectors."

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight today, confirmed cases increased by 35,286 from the previous day, reaching a cumulative total of 1,044,963. The number of new cases has remained in the 30,000 range for three consecutive days. The Omicron detection rate surged to 92.1%, making it the dominant strain domestically.

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