"Intensified 7th Resurgence"... Continued Indoor Mask Wearing This Winter

Peak in December, Daily New Cases May Reach Up to 200,000
7-Day Isolation for Confirmed Cases Maintained... Pre- and Post-Entry COVID Tests Also Continue

Travelers wearing masks are moving inside the domestic terminal of Gimpo Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] As the government officially acknowledges the resurgence of COVID-19, it has decided to maintain the 7-day isolation for confirmed cases and the indoor mask mandate until the winter wave stabilizes. Additionally, without imposing uniform social distancing measures, the government plans to increase prescriptions of oral antiviral treatments, protect vulnerable facilities, and prepare for the spread of the virus through additional vaccinations.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 10th, with daily new COVID-19 cases recently reaching 50,000 to 60,000, the winter resurgence is projected to result in up to 200,000 new cases per day depending on scenarios such as the emergence of new variants.

This scale is similar to the summer wave when daily cases peaked at around 180,000. Baek Kyung-ran, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated, "The peak of the wave is expected in December or later," adding, "We plan to continuously respond using quarantine and medical capabilities without imposing uniform social distancing measures such as time or capacity restrictions."

Accordingly, the health authorities plan to expedite the early introduction of 200,000 doses of the oral antiviral treatment 'Paxlovid,' originally scheduled for the first quarter of next year, securing sufficient supply by December. To increase the prescription rate of oral treatments, each city and province will monitor weekly prescription rates for high-risk groups and promote public campaigns.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests can be conducted for up to 850,000 people per day. There are 12,327 medical institutions equipped for rapid antigen tests (RAT), about 6,000 dedicated hospital beds, and 12,000 general isolation beds are being prepared.

The suspension of mandatory COVID-19 testing before and after entry, which was halted in September and October, will continue. However, if a new variant of concern designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) emerges or if there is a sudden increase in incidence or fatality rates in certain countries, those countries may be designated as cautionary countries, with possible restrictions on visa issuance and flight operations or reintroduction of testing before and after entry.

The remaining quarantine measures, including the indoor mask mandate and the 7-day isolation requirement for confirmed cases, will be maintained until the winter wave stabilizes. Earlier, Commissioner Baek stated at the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Committee on the 8th, "We plan to reconsider the mask policy once the winter wave enters a phase of adjustment."

In addition, the health authorities emphasized the need for bivalent vaccine vaccinations in response to the recent emergence of multiple new Omicron subvariants and encouraged participation in vaccination again. Currently, the additional vaccination rate for the winter season is 3.0% of the total population, and the vaccination rate among the high-risk group aged 60 and over is also low at 9.0%.

Commissioner Baek said, "Many people believe they have immunity because they have completed the primary vaccination series and have already experienced infection, which is why vaccination rates are low," adding, "Immunity acquired through infection or vaccination decreases over time and is insufficient to prevent infection from new variant viruses. Therefore, bivalent vaccination is essential for the elderly aged 60 and over, residents and users of vulnerable facilities, and those with underlying health conditions."

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