Busan City Lowers COVID-19 Crisis Alert Level from Serious to Caution Starting June 1

Easing of Major Quarantine Measures, Promotion of Safe Return to Daily Life

Mandatory Isolation Reduced from 7 to 5 Days (Recommended), Mask Wearing Recommended for Clinics and Pharmacies

Revision of Infection Control Rules in Vulnerable Fac

Busan City announced that starting June 1, the COVID-19 infectious disease disaster crisis alert level will be downgraded from ‘Severe’ to ‘Caution,’ and it has established a response plan to ensure the safe recovery of citizens' daily lives while easing major quarantine measures.

COVID-19 Crisis Level Downgrade (Severe → Alert) Card News.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters decided to lower the COVID-19 crisis alert level from Severe to Caution starting June 1, considering the decline in disease risk, stable quarantine situation, and the World Health Organization (WHO)’s announcement of the end of the public health emergency (May 5).

They reviewed the ‘COVID-19 Crisis Level Adjustment Implementation Plan (Roadmap)’ announced on March 29 and prepared a ‘Quarantine Measures Transition Plan’ to promptly implement major quarantine measures according to the detailed step-by-step plan, which will be applied nationwide from June 1.

Following the government’s ‘Crisis Level Downgrade and Quarantine Measures Transition Plan,’ Busan City also established and is implementing its own response plan. From June 1, the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will ease major quarantine measures while maintaining some response systems to ensure a safe return to daily life.

The main eased quarantine measures include ▲changing the mandatory 7-day isolation for confirmed cases to a 5-day recommended isolation ▲changing mask-wearing in clinics and pharmacies to a recommendation (mandatory in hospital-level medical institutions and residential infection-vulnerable facilities) ▲revising quarantine guidelines for infection-vulnerable facilities (changing proactive testing for workers to a recommendation, allowing residents to eat during in-person visits under compliance with quarantine rules) ▲ending the recommendation for PCR testing on the third day after entry, among others.

Despite the easing of major quarantine measures, to minimize health damage to citizens, screening clinics will continue to operate and conduct PCR tests focused on high-risk groups. The current support system for one-stop medical institutions capable of diagnosis, treatment, and prescription, as well as medical consultation centers and administrative guidance centers for home treatment patients, will be maintained for the time being.

However, from June 1, the operation of temporary screening clinics at Busan City Hall and support for the Busan-type health management kit (set) will be discontinued.

Additionally, support systems such as hospitalization treatment costs, vaccinations, therapeutics, and isolation support funds (living support and paid leave) will be maintained for the time being to reduce the burden on citizens.

To protect high-risk groups, Busan City is conducting additional COVID-19 vaccinations for high-risk groups in the first half of 2023 at 321 entrusted medical institutions. Citizens aged 65 and older and immunocompromised individuals such as cancer patients, who are recommended to be vaccinated, are urged to receive vaccinations despite the easing of quarantine measures.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun said, “First, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the medical staff who have worked tirelessly on the front lines of COVID-19 and to the citizens of Busan who have participated in preventing the spread of COVID-19 until we reach the stage of daily life recovery.” He added, “Our city will do its best to protect citizens’ health from infectious diseases by continuously monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak outlook and maintaining the response system to ensure a safe return to daily life.”

He also urged, “I ask all citizens to actively participate in making the practice of quarantine rules such as hand washing, ventilation and disinfection, and cough etiquette a daily habit to quickly move toward a safe recovery of daily life.”

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