From the 30th, 'Holding Hands Visits' Allowed at Nursing Hospitals and Facilities

Temporary Permission Granted Until the 22nd of Next Month for COVID-19 Confirmed Cases and Fully Vaccinated Individuals

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Contact visits at nursing hospitals and facilities, which were restricted due to COVID-19, will be temporarily allowed.

On the 22nd, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that contact visits will be temporarily permitted until the 22nd of next month in celebration of Family Month in May. Since November 18 last year, only non-contact face-to-face visits have been allowed at nursing hospitals and facilities to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This measure reflects the decrease in confirmed cases following the peak of the Omicron wave in March and the increasing demands from the elderly and their families due to the prolonged ban on contact visits.

However, to ensure safe visits, those eligible for contact visits are limited to people who meet vaccination criteria or have a recent history of infection.

First, individuals who have been confirmed positive and released from isolation within 3 to 90 days are eligible for contact visits regardless of vaccination status. Residents and visitors with a history of COVID-19 infection who do not fall under this category can have contact visits if they have completed at least the second vaccination. Residents with no history of infection must have completed the fourth vaccination to be allowed contact visits. Visitors without a history of infection must have completed at least the second vaccination if they are 17 years old or younger, and at least the third vaccination if they are 18 years old or older.

Visitors, except those within 45 days after confirmation, must test negative through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or rapid antigen test within 48 hours. If prior testing is difficult, visitors can bring a rapid antigen test kit and verify the result on-site.

Additionally, for contact visits, the following rules must be observed: ▲(before the visit) temperature check and hand sanitization ▲(during the visit) constant mask-wearing and no food consumption ▲(after the visit) disinfection of the visiting area and ventilation for at least 15 minutes.

To prevent crowding of visitors, nursing hospitals and facilities will accept advance reservations for contact visits, and the number of visitors per inpatient or resident is limited to a maximum of four.

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