언론사

- WHO Lifts COVID-19 Emergency

: Korea Downgrades Crisis Level This Month

The Cheongdae Times Cub reporter Ye-Seul Jang

https://url.kr/2r9tfn

As the World Health Organization (WHO) lifted the COVID-19 international public health emergency, the government will also announce a downward revision of the COVID-19 crisis stage this month.

In accordance with 「the COVID-19 Crisis Level Adjustment Roadmap」 in March, the government said it plans to announce the first phase of action in May. This includes lowering the infectious disease crisis stage from "serious" to "warning."

If the crisis stage is lowered to the first level, the quarantine period will be reduced from 7 days to 5 days, and temporary screening clinics will also be suspended.

In addition, quarantine measures recommending PCR tests will end within three days of entering the country, and related statistics, including newly confirmed patients, will be converted to weekly announcements.

The obligation to wear masks and protect vulnerable facilities applied to medical institutions and vulnerable facilities will be maintained. Also, the daily reporting system of medical institutions will continue, and support for testing, treatment, vaccination, and living support will continue.

The second phase of the measures will be implemented after the first phase of implementation and when preparations for the sites, such as the medical community and local governments, are completed. The quarantine authorities have said they expect the second phase to be entered by July.

In the second stage, the obligation to wear masks or to isolate indoors will be completely lifted and returned to the daily medical system. Most of the support systems will end, except for some treatments, examination costs for vulnerable people, and hospitalization costs for severely ill patients.

In the third stage, quarantine, medical measures, and support measures will all disappear. The third stage begins when COVID-19 is lowered to the level of an influenza epidemic, and in March, quarantine authorities predicted that “This year is a little tough, so it will start as early as next year.”