[Reemergence Prevention Measures①] Despite Expecting 200,000 Confirmed Cases... Government Says "No Social Distancing"

Expected 100,000 to 200,000 New Cases from Mid-August to Late September
Vaccination Target Expanded to 50s ... Additional Paxlovid Secured

On the 12th, when the number of new COVID-19 cases reached the 30,000s, citizens lined up to get tested at a screening clinic set up at the Mapo-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The government is expanding the target group for the 4th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to include those aged 50 and above and individuals aged 18 and over with underlying health conditions. Even if new confirmed cases increase to 100,000 to 200,000 per day, instead of implementing strict social distancing measures, the government plans to minimize damage through voluntary compliance with quarantine guidelines by the public and focused management of high-risk groups.

On the 13th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced these new quarantine and medical measures in preparation for the summer resurgence of COVID-19.

The quarantine authorities set the basic direction for the first COVID-19 resurgence measures under the new government as "voluntary distancing based on public responsibility and autonomy." Moving away from past regulations and enforcement-based quarantine, uniform distancing measures such as restricting business hours or private gatherings will not be implemented. Measures that control the daily lives of citizens are less effective, and considering that daily life recovery has already progressed significantly, public acceptance of time and capacity restrictions is low.

First, the 4th vaccine dose target group has been expanded to those aged 50 and above and individuals aged 18 and over with underlying health conditions. Currently, the 4th dose is only administered to high-risk groups aged 60 and above. For vulnerable facilities, vaccination will be expanded not only to nursing hospitals and facilities but also to facilities for the disabled and homeless shelters. The 7-day isolation requirement for confirmed cases will also be maintained for the time being. Diagnostic testing will continue using the currently implemented professional rapid antigen test (RAT) method, and overseas entrants must undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on the first day after entry.

Oral antiviral treatment 'Paxlovid' will be actively administered to high-risk confirmed patients. Additional purchases of the treatment will be made to secure sufficient supply, and the number of medical institutions authorized to prescribe the treatment will be increased. Through regional designated hospitals, beds will be preferentially allocated to patients in infection-vulnerable facilities.

As of midnight on the day, the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases was 40,266, with a total cumulative number of 18,062,109 cases. This marks a return to the 40,000 range for the first time in 63 days since May 11, when there were 43,908 cases. Compared to the 19,363 cases on the 6th, the number has increased approximately 2.1 times in one week.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stated, "The BA.5 variant, which has high transmissibility and immune evasion characteristics, is spreading, causing the resurgence to begin faster than initially expected," adding, "According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and experts, it is projected that up to 200,000 confirmed cases per day could occur between mid-August and the end of September."