Confirmed Cases '7-Day Quarantine' Extended for 4 Weeks... Korea Warns "Easing Quarantine May Accelerate Resurgence"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The government has decided to extend the mandatory 7-day quarantine for COVID-19 confirmed cases for an additional 4 weeks.

On the 17th, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stated this during his opening remarks at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting held at the Government Seoul Office, adding, "We plan to reassess the situation every 4 weeks together with experts."

The CDSCH had announced on the 20th of last month that it would evaluate the quarantine situation over 4 weeks and adjust the quarantine mandate accordingly. Since then, the government has been discussing the lifting of quarantine obligations through expert task forces (TF) and the Infectious Disease Crisis Management Committee.

Prime Minister Han explained, "Experts assessed that 'some indicators such as medical response capacity have been achieved, but the number of deaths has not sufficiently decreased yet, and relaxing quarantine obligations could accelerate the timing of resurgence and increase the scale of damage.'"

However, he added, "Even before the 4-week evaluation, if the quarantine indicators meet the criteria, we will consider adjusting the quarantine obligations for confirmed cases."

He also evaluated, "Recently, the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases has dropped to the level seen at the end of January before the full spread of Omicron, and the number of critically ill patients has fallen below 100. The bed occupancy rate is also maintained below 10%, indicating stability."

Prime Minister Han further announced plans to expand the scope of daily recovery in nursing hospitals and facilities by allowing in-person visits regardless of vaccination status, which had previously been permitted only for those who completed vaccination. Regarding this, he said, "Since April 30, this includes not only those who completed vaccination but also those with a history of infection. The 4th dose vaccination rate among nursing hospital and facility residents recently exceeded 80%, and we considered the unfortunate situation where families cannot meet frequently."

He added, "For elderly people who have completed the 4th dose, we will also allow outings and overnight stays, which are currently prohibited for residents. However, considering the safety of elderly people living together, advance reservations for visits and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or rapid antigen tests for visitors will be maintained."

Prime Minister Han concluded, "Thanks to the cooperation of the public, the quarantine situation remains stable. However, we are not completely free from risk. Even if quarantine regulations are lifted, please strictly follow the quarantine guidelines with the mindset of protecting yourself from COVID-19."

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