[2023 National Audit] Decision on Downgrading COVID-19 Crisis Level from Alert to Caution Expected Within the Year

The timing for an additional downgrade of the current COVID-19 infectious disease crisis level, which is at the 'Alert' stage, will be decided within this year.

On the 11th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced plans to adjust the COVID-19 crisis level and ease quarantine measures during the Health and Welfare Committee's national audit report. KDCA Commissioner Ji Young-mi stated, “The decision will be made after comprehensively considering domestic and international outbreaks and response levels, the necessity of normalizing public health center operations, the progress of winter vaccination campaigns, and expert advice from the Crisis Response Advisory Committee and Crisis Evaluation Meetings.”

Currently, the COVID-19 infectious disease crisis levels are 'Severe', 'Alert', 'Caution', and 'Interest', with the current level being 'Alert'. The plan for when the COVID-19 crisis level will move down to 'Caution' will be announced within this year.

Since June 1, the COVID-19 crisis level was downgraded to 'Alert', resulting in the removal of mandatory isolation for confirmed cases and the mask-wearing requirement at local clinics and pharmacies. On August 31, the government downgraded the COVID-19 infectious disease classification from Level 2 to Level 4 and stopped COVID-19 testing and treatment support except for high-risk groups.

However, due to the continued risk of COVID-19 for high-risk groups, the crisis level has been maintained at 'Alert'. Therefore, some quarantine measures, such as the indoor mask-wearing mandate at hospital-level or higher medical institutions and residential infection-vulnerable facilities, have not been lifted.

However, if the crisis alert is downgraded to 'Caution', the scope of testing cost support for high-risk groups will be reduced, and the remaining mask-wearing mandates will be completely lifted. Operation of screening clinics will also be fully terminated. The joint response system involving the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Ministry of Health and Welfare) and the Central Disease Control Headquarters (KDCA) will be scaled down to focus mainly on the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. The KDCA explained, “Through additional easing of quarantine measures, COVID-19 will enter a stage of routine infectious disease management.”

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