COVID-19 Quarantine Period to Be Flexibly Managed... "Decision by Disease Control Chief"

Amendment to the Infectious Disease Control Act Enforcement Decree Approved at the State Council Meeting

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) can now flexibly adjust the self-isolation and facility quarantine periods for patients or contacts of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

The KDCA announced that the "Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act," which includes this provision, was approved at the Cabinet meeting on the 4th. This amendment was prepared to establish a basis for flexibly managing the self-isolation and facility quarantine periods, which have so far been uniformly applied up to the maximum incubation period of the relevant infectious disease, by considering factors such as vaccination status, the trend of variant virus outbreaks, and changes in guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and overseas authorities.

Specifically, a proviso regarding the self-isolation and facility quarantine periods has been newly added. The current regulation, which stipulates the quarantine period as "until the end of the maximum incubation period of the relevant infectious disease," now includes a proviso allowing the KDCA Director to "set a different period within the maximum incubation period" by taking into account vaccination status and other factors.

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the KDCA, said, "Through the amendment of the enforcement decree, we have established a basis to set different quarantine periods depending on vaccination status and other factors," adding, "This will enable flexible management of quarantine periods going forward."