As the COVID-19 variant virus 'Omicron' rapidly spreads worldwide, on the 29th, overseas arrivals departing from Khabarovsk, Russia, and Frankfurt, Germany, entered Incheon International Airport and underwent screening. Photo by Airport Photographers Group
[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] As the spread of COVID-19 continues, the government has decided to postpone the transition to the second phase of 'gradual daily recovery' and maintain the current level of phase 1 for the next four weeks. Due to a shortage of hospital beds, COVID-19 patients will primarily receive home treatment, with hospitalization allowed only when necessary.
Additionally, booster vaccinations for those aged 18 to 49 will begin next month, and the validity period of the quarantine pass (proof of vaccination or negative test) will be set to six months, to be implemented from the 20th of next month. Measures to reduce the size of private gatherings, especially in the metropolitan area, or to limit the number of unvaccinated people gathering in restaurants and cafes are also under discussion, and the final decision on implementation will be made after further public consultation.
◆Transition to a healthcare system based on home treatment= On the 29th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced follow-up medical and quarantine response plans at the 'COVID-19 Response Special Quarantine Inspection Meeting' chaired by President Moon Jae-in. The government stated that due to the recent increase in new COVID-19 cases and the continuous rise in the number of patients waiting for hospital beds, which has exceeded 1,000 daily, it will shift to a healthcare system primarily based on home treatment.
Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol said at the joint briefing of the special quarantine inspection meeting, "All confirmed cases will primarily receive home treatment, but hospitalization will be provided only in specific cases such as when there are hospitalization indications or when the living environment is vulnerable to infection." Until now, home treatment was provided only to asymptomatic or mild confirmed patients under 70 years old without hospitalization indications who agreed to home treatment, but now home treatment will be the principle, and only those who need hospitalization will be admitted.
The government plans to expand medical institutions centered on community healthcare facilities in preparation for the increase in home-treated patients. Short-term and outpatient clinics will be established to provide testing and medical care for those whose symptoms change during home treatment or who require medical attention. Support for daily living for home-treated patients will also be expanded. Considering the additional costs incurred during home treatment compared to admission to living treatment centers, additional living support funds are being considered. Oral antiviral drugs will also be introduced. Besides the pre-purchased quantity of 404,000 doses, additional purchases are under review, and negotiations with global pharmaceutical companies are underway for rapid introduction.
Minister Kwon explained, "From now on, all confirmed cases will be assigned to home treatment by default regardless of consent, and hospital beds will be allocated only to those with hospitalization indications. It is not sustainable to continue responding to the increase in mild and asymptomatic confirmed cases due to daily recovery with a hospital-centered healthcare system, as it consumes significant medical resources."
As the COVID-19 variant virus 'Omicron' rapidly spreads worldwide, on the 29th, overseas arrivals departing from Khabarovsk, Russia, and Frankfurt, Germany, entered Incheon International Airport and underwent screening. / Photo by Airport Photographers Group
◆Booster vaccinations for ages 18-49 starting next month= As the number of confirmed cases grows, the government is encouraging booster vaccinations for those who have completed their initial vaccination and expanding the eligible population. Accordingly, booster vaccinations for those aged 18 to 49 will be fully implemented starting next month.
Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), announced the 'COVID-19 Vaccination Progress and Measures to Increase Vaccination Rates,' stating, "Healthy young adults aged 18 to 49 will also be included as booster vaccination targets, and booster shots will be administered to all adults aged 18 and over."
Although those aged 18 to 49 are currently not included in the booster vaccination target, considering the recent quarantine situation, overseas booster policies, and research on vaccine effectiveness, booster shots will be administered five months (150 days) after completing the primary vaccination series. Eligible individuals can make advance reservations from the 2nd of next month and receive vaccinations starting on the 4th. Same-day vaccinations with leftover vaccines will be available from the 2nd.
Additionally, individuals with personal reasons such as overseas travel or medical treatment can advance their booster vaccination timing. In cases where group vaccinations or scheduling conflicts make it unavoidable, or for those wishing to receive leftover vaccines, early booster vaccinations within one month of the standard interval will be allowed to facilitate prompt vaccination. For example, while the standard booster interval for those aged 60 and over is four months, it can be advanced by one month to three months for personal reasons. For those aged 18 to 59, the interval is five months but can be shortened to four months for early vaccination.
Furthermore, considering the waning effect of vaccine effectiveness over time, a validity period will be set for the quarantine pass. For those who have completed the primary vaccination series, the quarantine pass will have a validity period of six months (five months booster interval plus one month grace period), with implementation planned from the 20th of next month. Although the booster intervals vary by target group, the Vaccination Expert Committee has set the principle at five months, so including the grace period, the quarantine pass validity is set at six months.
Director Jung emphasized, "To control the current outbreak and achieve safe daily recovery, it is very important to complete primary vaccinations for children and adolescents aged 12 to 17 and unvaccinated adults aged 18 and over, as well as booster vaccinations for the elderly aged 60 and above. We strongly recommend primary vaccinations for children and adolescents and will promote the expansion of booster vaccination targets nationwide and the setting of quarantine pass validity periods to reinforce the perception that booster vaccination is not optional but essential."
◆Discussion on reducing the number of unvaccinated gatherings in restaurants and cafes= To curb the spread centered in the metropolitan area, the government is also considering measures to limit the size of private gatherings or reduce the number of unvaccinated people gathering in restaurants and cafes.
Minister Kwon stated, "At today's meeting, various opinions were presented and discussed, including reducing the size of private gatherings in the metropolitan area to suppress the spread and block transmission among the unvaccinated, reducing the number of unvaccinated people in restaurants and cafes, or significantly expanding the application of the quarantine pass. The final decision will be made after further discussions by the Daily Recovery Support Committee and the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters."
Minister Kwon added, "These measures greatly affect public inconvenience and the national and livelihood economy, so additional public consultation is necessary. Therefore, we have decided to proceed with further opinion gathering. However, considering recent cluster infections in movie theaters, the pilot operation of indoor eating in movie theaters will be suspended."
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