From Tomorrow, Contact Visits to Nursing Hospitals and Facilities Suspended... Strengthened Quarantine for Overseas Arrivals

Blocking External Infection Factors for High-Risk Groups Amid Rapid Surge in Confirmed Cases
Over 400 Imported Cases from Japan Soar

From the 25th, in-person visits at nursing hospitals and facilities will be restricted again. This measure is to block external infection sources for high-risk groups as COVID-19 cases have recently surged sharply. People entering the country from overseas must undergo a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on the day of their arrival.

Going out or overnight stays prohibited except for essential outpatient treatment

According to the quarantine authorities on the 24th, from the 25th, in-person visits allowed at nursing hospitals and facilities, as well as psychiatric hospitals and facilities, will be banned, and only non-contact visits will be permitted. Residents of these facilities are also prohibited from going out or staying overnight except when receiving essential outpatient treatment.

Nursing hospitals and facilities have many infection-vulnerable individuals and a high risk of cluster infections, so quarantine rules have been strengthened whenever COVID-19 outbreaks expanded. Since November last year, when the Omicron variant spread rapidly, contact visits were banned, but this restriction was lifted last month when the spread subsided.

PCR testing for staff at nursing hospitals and facilities will also be strengthened. Until now, those who received the 4th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or those with a history of infection after at least two doses were exempt from testing, but from the 25th, only those within three months after the 4th dose or within 45 days after infection will be exempt. All others not exempt must undergo PCR testing once a week.

Before the quarantine rules at nursing hospitals were somewhat relaxed on June 20, all staff except those who had received the 4th dose or had a recent infection history underwent PCR testing twice a week.

Mandatory PCR test on day 1 of entry

From the 25th, PCR tests for those entering from overseas must be taken within one day of entry, instead of within three days as was relaxed since June. This tightens the PCR testing deadline again after about two months.

Therefore, PCR testing must be done on the day of entry, and if it is difficult to test on the same day due to time constraints, it must be done by the next day. After taking the PCR test, individuals must stay at home or their accommodation until a negative result is confirmed.

Since last month, after easing entry regulations such as quarantine exemptions for arrivals and increasing international flights, the number of overseas arrivals has increased, and COVID-19 importation cases have also shown an upward trend. Imported cases among daily new confirmed cases have remained in the triple digits for a month since the 24th of last month, recently fluctuating between around 300 and up to 429 in the past week.

Among overseas arrivals, Korean nationals and long-term foreign residents can receive free PCR testing at the health centers responsible for their home or accommodation. Additionally, the management of overseas arrivals by health centers has been strengthened by requiring entrants to register their test results themselves in the quarantine information pre-entry system (Q-code).

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