Summer Vacation Amid COVID Resurgence and Variant Emergence... "Strengthening Quarantine Personnel at Tourist Sites"

Weekly Average Daily Cases Double Last Week... "Fatality Rate Is Low"
4th Dose Vaccination for 50s Starts from 18th... Same-Day Reservation and Vaccination Possible

On the 13th, amid growing concerns over the resurgence of COVID-19, the arrival hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport is bustling with passengers. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] As COVID-19 is resurging, the government has decided to strengthen quarantine management at airports. Since this summer vacation season is the first without social distancing measures after the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine personnel will also be deployed to major tourist destinations nationwide.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters held a meeting on the 15th at the Government Complex Sejong, chaired by Lee Sang-min, the 2nd Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety), to discuss the "Plan to Support Quarantine Personnel for Creating a Safe Tourism Environment" and other related matters.

The government plans to deploy an additional 140 quarantine support personnel at Incheon Airport and seven regional airports to maintain order in quarantine waiting lines, classify passengers, and guide Q-code input. Candidates will be recruited and selected through local governments, and the additional personnel will be deployed starting in August.

Approximately 2,500 quarantine and management staff will be intensively deployed to major tourist sites expected to be crowded during the summer vacation season. They will actively guide and promote compliance with personal quarantine rules such as wearing masks and social distancing, as well as conduct indoor disinfection and ventilation.

This summer vacation season is the first since the COVID-19 outbreak without outdoor mask mandates and social distancing regulations. According to the "Safe Summer Vacation Measures from COVID-19" jointly announced by related ministries on the 22nd of last month, the government plans to actively guide and promote personal quarantine rules such as mask-wearing and social distancing so that citizens can travel safely by considering each other, rather than through regulations and crackdowns.

Additionally, the target group for the 4th COVID-19 vaccine dose has been expanded from those aged 60 and above, residents of nursing hospitals/facilities, mental health promotion facilities, and other infection-vulnerable facilities, to include those aged 50 and above, individuals aged 18 and older with underlying conditions, and residents of facilities for the disabled and homeless. Vaccination is being encouraged for these groups.

The 2nd Deputy Head emphasized, "Overseas travelers should pay special attention to personal health management and undergo PCR testing without fail after entry," adding, "Although the infection prevention effect of the vaccine naturally decreases, the effect of preventing severe illness and death is maintained."

The 4th vaccine dose will begin accepting advance reservations from the 18th, and vaccinations for those who have made reservations will start from the 1st of next month. Notification messages will be sent to those in their 50s who have reached the interval for the 4th dose, and when making a reservation, the vaccine can be chosen from Moderna, Pfizer, or Novavax.

Vaccinations at infection-vulnerable facilities will be conducted through visiting vaccination teams, and same-day vaccinations using leftover vaccines and standby lists will also be available starting from the 18th.

Meanwhile, the average daily number of new confirmed cases over the past week (9th?15th) was about 30,000 (29,865), approximately double compared to the previous week (2nd?8th). The infection reproduction number has also been above '1' for two consecutive weeks, indicating that the current spread is expected to continue for some time.

However, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters assessed that the increase in deaths and critically ill patients currently hospitalized is small, and hospital bed resources remain sufficient.

Sohn Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, explained, "Since Omicron became the dominant strain, the fatality rate has decreased compared to before. The cumulative fatality rate over the past two years is 0.13%, but the short-term fatality rate in May was 0.07%. Considering that the fatality rate of seasonal flu is generally evaluated at 0.05?0.1%, the fatality rate of COVID-19 after Omicron is approaching a level similar to that of seasonal flu."

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