Rapid Antigen Tests Also Accepted for International Travelers Upon Entry... Discussion on the Timing of Entering the 'Stabilization Phase'

Isolation Requirement for Confirmed Cases Likely to Be Lifted After Transition Period Ends

After the government announced the exemption from self-quarantine for overseas arrivals, flight ticket reservations have increased. On the 1st, the departure hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport was bustling with citizens preparing to travel abroad. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

To reduce the time and cost burden on overseas travelers, it appears that not only polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests but also rapid antigen test certificates will be recognized upon entry into Korea. The government plans to discuss the timing of entering the 'settling phase' of daily recovery starting next week, including this measure.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 12th, at the first Central Disaster Management Headquarters meeting held since the new government took office the day before, it was decided to gradually shift the medical response system, which had been focused on COVID-19, to a general medical system centered on local clinics and hospitals.

First, the government plans to review the epidemic situation and medical response capacity to decide next week whether and when to transition to the settling phase. Previously, the Moon Jae-in administration downgraded COVID-19 from a first-class to a second-class infectious disease on the 25th of last month and set a 4-week 'transition period.' According to this schedule, starting from the 23rd, the 7-day mandatory isolation for confirmed cases will be lifted, and patients will begin receiving treatment at local general medical institutions, marking the official return to routine medical care. However, since the Presidential Transition Committee has pointed out that the previous government's daily recovery measures were premature, there is a possibility that the transition to the settling phase may be delayed depending on the discussion results.

The government also plans to respond swiftly to protect high-risk groups with high fatality rates. Elderly people and those with underlying conditions will be able to check their test results on the same day they are tested and receive prescriptions for treatments. If hospitalization is necessary, they will be directly linked to designated specialized hospitals for priority admission. Emergency room beds and medical staff, which have been flexibly operated for COVID-19 patient treatment, will return to focusing solely on emergency medical care with the transition to the settling phase.

The option to replace the PCR test required for overseas travelers entering Korea with a rapid antigen test is also being positively considered. A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official said, "Currently, the working-level staff are positively reviewing the replacement of PCR tests with rapid antigen tests, and only the final confirmation process remains." The Central Disease Control Headquarters also explained, "We are reviewing the replacement or combination of PCR tests with rapid antigen tests for overseas travelers." Currently, vaccinated overseas travelers must undergo three tests: a pre-departure PCR test, a PCR test on day 1, and a rapid antigen test on days 6-7. Travelers must submit a negative certificate to the airline after taking a PCR test within 48 hours before boarding abroad, and upon arrival, they must take a PCR test at a public health center. PCR tests cost about 200,000 KRW per person overseas, and in Korea, including the issuance of an English negative certificate, the cost ranges from about 100,000 to 180,000 KRW, which has been a considerable burden for travelers.

According to an analysis and announcement by the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Central Accident Response Headquarters based on mobile phone movement data provided by the Statistics Korea, nationwide mobility in the third week after the lifting of social distancing (May 2?8) was recorded at 283.25 million cases. This is an 11.0% increase compared to the previous week (April 25?May 1), which had 255.16 million cases, and a 1.3% increase compared to the same period in 2019 (May 2?8), before the COVID-19 outbreak, which had 279.51 million cases. This is the first time nationwide mobility has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels.

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