The Last Remaining Quarantine Measures, Isolation of Confirmed Cases, and Medical Institution Masks... When Will Complete 'Daily Recovery' Happen?

On the 15th, when the government announced the additional lifting of the mask-wearing mandate in most public places, including buses and subways, starting from the 20th, citizens wearing masks were walking at Yeouido Station in the Seoul subway. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

With the mandatory mask-wearing on public transportation lifted starting from the 20th, the only remaining COVID-19 prevention measures for the general public are the 7-day isolation for confirmed cases and the mask-wearing obligation in medical institutions and infection-vulnerable facilities. Full restoration of daily life is expected as early as April or May, but there are still considerations such as the risk of severe illness among high-risk groups.

Looking at the additional adjustment plan for indoor mask-wearing announced by the quarantine authorities on the 15th, the mask mandate on public transportation will be completely lifted from the 20th, while mask-wearing is recommended during crowded times such as commuting hours. This effectively lowers the previous mandatory mask-wearing on public transportation to a recommendation. Accordingly, the facilities where mask-wearing remains mandatory are medical institutions, general pharmacies, and residential infection-vulnerable facilities.

Discussions on lifting the isolation requirement for confirmed cases, another representative quarantine measure along with mask-wearing, have already begun. The quarantine authorities are using the World Health Organization (WHO)'s decision to end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) as a benchmark. It is expected that the WHO Emergency Committee will decide on this by late April or early May. Once the WHO announces the end of the emergency, the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) will convene a crisis assessment meeting to lower the COVID-19 crisis level from the current 'severe' stage and consider adjustments to the legal infectious disease classification.

In particular, lowering the COVID-19 classification from the current level 2 to level 4 is effectively regarded as a full endemic declaration (continuous spread of the infectious disease). Influenza (flu) is a representative disease classified as level 4. Level 4 infectious diseases do not require separate isolation for confirmed cases, and medical personnel only need to report to the local health center within 7 days. If the COVID-19 classification is adjusted, the isolation obligation for confirmed cases will also be lifted. Im Suk-young, head of the CDCH Situation Management Division, explained, "We currently consider COVID-19 to be quite stabilized, and accordingly, we have begun reviewing the adjustment of the crisis level. Once the WHO Emergency Committee meets, we will hold a crisis assessment meeting to adjust the crisis level and sequentially revise quarantine measures such as isolation and transition to level 4."

Along with this, the mask-wearing obligation in medical institutions and infection-vulnerable facilities is also expected to be adjusted simultaneously with the COVID-19 infectious disease classification without separate interim changes. Since infections can easily spread in medical institutions and many immunocompromised patients are present, which can lead to fatal outcomes, the quarantine authorities must make careful judgments until the end. Many medical institutions currently conduct COVID-19 tests before admission. Looking at overseas cases, while general mask-wearing is left to individual discretion, several countries (Italy, Germany, Spain, etc.) maintain mask mandates in medical institutions and social welfare facilities.

The variable going forward is the high-risk groups such as the elderly. Experts recommend focusing quarantine policies on reducing severe cases and deaths. Previously, the National Infectious Disease Crisis Response Advisory Committee urged the government to increase the prescription rate of effective oral antiviral treatments to lower the risk of severe illness and death among high-risk groups such as the elderly. The quarantine authorities also emphasized voluntary mask-wearing. Hong Jeong-ik, head of the CDCH Quarantine Support Division, said, "The fact that mask-wearing remains the most basic protective measure against COVID-19 and other respiratory infectious diseases has not changed. We recommend that those using crowded public transportation during commuting hours and those working in open pharmacies within large facilities continue to wear masks voluntarily."

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