'40,000 Confirmed Cases' Signs of 6th Rewave... Where Is Yoon Government's 'Scientific Quarantine'?

Government Expands 4th Vaccination to 50s and 18+ with Underlying Conditions
May Consider Social Distancing if Major Changes in Outbreak Occur
Experts: "Scientific Quarantine? Must Respond by Supplementing Existing Strategies"
"Reducing Support for Isolated Patients Could Worsen Outbreak Situation"

On the morning of the 13th, the COVID-19 testing center dedicated to arrivals at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport in Yeongjongdo was crowded with overseas arrivals as the number of new confirmed cases surged to the 40,000s for the first time in over two months, and the number of new imported cases also recorded the second highest ever at 398. / Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The number of new COVID-19 cases, which had been quiet for a while, has surpassed 40,000 per day, signaling the entry into the sixth major wave and raising tensions. Amid adverse factors such as the rapid spread of the Omicron subvariant BA.5, waning vaccine effectiveness, and increased travel during the holiday season, the new government's quarantine response is being put to the test.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the 13th, the number of new COVID-19 cases was recorded at 40,266. This is 2.1 times the 19,362 cases reported a week earlier on the 6th, and 3.9 times the 10,454 cases reported two weeks earlier on the 29th of last month. The 'doubling' phenomenon, where cases double every week, has become clearly evident. The number of new cases exceeding 40,000 is the first time in 63 days since May 11 (43,908 cases). The government raised the COVID-19 risk level from 'low' to 'medium' for the first time in eight weeks the day before.

On the same day, the government announced measures to expand the fourth dose of the vaccine to people in their 50s and those aged 18 and over with underlying conditions as part of the COVID-19 resurgence response. This slightly broadens the fourth dose eligibility, which was previously limited to those aged 60 and above and immunocompromised individuals. The mandatory 7-day isolation for confirmed cases will be maintained. Social distancing will not be introduced at this stage. However, the government stated that selective and phased social distancing could be considered if there is a significant change in the epidemic situation.

The Omicron subvariant BA.5, which is driving the current wave, is known for its rapid transmissibility and ability to evade immunity generated by vaccines, increasing the likelihood of reinfection. In the first week of July, the detection rate of BA.5 was 23.7%, with 70% of cases being imported. Although the BA.5 detection rate dropped by 0.4 percentage points from the previous week (24.1%), imported cases surged by 20.8 percentage points from 49.2%. The combined detection rate of BA.5 from domestic and imported cases is 35%, and the government expects BA.5 to become the new dominant strain in Korea, following the original Omicron (BA.1) and BA.2.

The problem is that the government currently has no effective countermeasures other than recommending vaccination. Introducing social distancing measures, as in previous waves, would be a significant burden amid the worsening economic crisis. The ruling party has also drawn a line against enforcing social distancing. On the 12th, Seong Iljong, the Policy Committee Chair of the People Power Party, said at a party meeting, "It is no longer feasible to manage COVID-19 by controlling the daily lives of citizens, including self-employed people, as was done in the early stages of the outbreak."

Earlier, President Yoon Seokyeol ordered preparations for a response system befitting 'scientific quarantine,' but at present, there are almost no options other than relying on individual preventive measures. Professor Eom Jung-sik of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Gachon University Gil Medical Center explained, "If proactive social distancing like in the past is not implemented, the scale of the outbreak could spread faster and larger in some cases. If resuming social distancing is difficult, we have no choice but to respond by supplementing and modifying existing strategies. It is impossible to completely block infections, so the response should focus on minimizing severe cases and damage."

Regarding the government's decision to reduce the living support funds previously given to COVID-19 isolated individuals to only the lower half of income earners, Professor Eom emphasized, "Many of those actually infected may not be able to rest adequately or maintain their livelihoods without support funds. Naturally, the epidemic situation will worsen, and casualties will increase accordingly. This is a matter directly related to the health and lives of the people, so it requires careful consideration."

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