From Today, COVID-19 Patient Living Support and Paid Leave Costs Halved

On the 16th, as the spread of COVID-19 continued, citizens were getting tested at a screening clinic in front of Seoul City Hall. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The living support funds and paid leave expenses provided to COVID-19 confirmed cases will be reduced to half their previous levels.

According to health authorities, from the 16th, the amount and eligibility for living support funds for confirmed cases who have been notified of hospitalization or isolation have been partially changed. This measure was taken considering the efficiency of COVID-19 operations, which have been paralyzed due to daily confirmed cases exceeding 300,000, and the financial capacity.

Jung Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), explained, “As confirmed cases surged before and after the Omicron peak, related tasks increased dramatically, and both central and local budgets expanded significantly, leading to the implementation of additional restructuring.” The living support funds paid to confirmed cases are funded 50% by the central government and 50% by local governments, while the paid leave expenses for workers confirmed positive and employed by businesses are covered 100% by the central government.

The support funds, which were previously paid per confirmed individual, will now be provided as a fixed amount per household. Previously, a confirmed individual isolated for 7 days received 244,000 KRW, but going forward, households will receive a fixed amount of 100,000 KRW. The 100,000 KRW is calculated as 20,000 KRW per day for 5 days excluding weekends. If two or more people in a household are isolated, an additional 50% will be added, making the amount 150,000 KRW.

The daily cap for paid leave expenses has been reduced from 73,000 KRW to 45,000 KRW. Additionally, only small and medium-sized enterprises, including small businesses and self-employed individuals, will be eligible to receive paid leave expenses.

The revised support plan will apply to confirmed cases notified of hospitalization or isolation from the 16th onward. However, the health authorities explained that exceptions will be allowed for cases where tests were conducted before the 16th but confirmation notifications were received after the 16th, permitting the positive confirmation date to be considered the start date of isolation.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised that the reduction in support funds may lead low-income and vulnerable workers to avoid testing and hide their symptoms. In response, the KDCA stated, “We will consider this point carefully,” but also urged, “Because infection can increase the severity and fatality rates among other high-risk groups such as immunocompromised individuals, please adhere to the Omicron behavioral guidelines.”

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