[Yoon Administration Supplementary Budget] 6.1 Trillion Won Support for Additional COVID-19 Tests and Oral Therapeutics Supply

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] The first supplementary budget (supplementary budget) prepared immediately after the launch of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration amounts to a total of 59 trillion won, of which 6.1 trillion won will be invested in strengthening quarantine measures, including additional securing of COVID-19 testing, treatment, living support, and oral therapeutics.

The government announced that it has prepared the '2022 2nd Supplementary Budget' worth 59 trillion won for the complete overcoming of COVID-19 and stabilization of people's livelihoods, and approved it at the extraordinary Cabinet meeting on the 12th. Excluding the statutory local transfer expenditures due to excess tax revenue, the size of the supplementary budget is 36.4 trillion won.

Among them, a total of 6.1 trillion won was allocated for strengthening quarantine measures, including 3.5 trillion won for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, treatment, and living support, and 2.6 trillion won for supporting the transition to a general medical system.

First, as the number of confirmed cases surged in March, an additional 1.6 trillion won will be invested in diagnostic testing costs. Budgets of 700 billion won and 1.2 trillion won were allocated respectively for home and inpatient treatment costs, living support, and paid leave expenses during the isolation period of confirmed cases.

In addition, 800 billion won will be invested to additionally supply 1 million oral therapeutics and 50,000 injectable therapeutics. Accordingly, 2 million oral therapeutics and 210,000 injectable therapeutics will be introduced respectively.

Furthermore, the government allocated 1.7 trillion won for bed operation to respond quickly to the surge in confirmed cases and to operate a medical response system focused on high-risk groups. As part of infectious disease research, 3.8 billion won and 5.5 billion won were newly allocated respectively for antibody positivity rate surveys targeting local community residents and research on COVID-19 aftereffects.

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