No COVID-19 Test Required Before Entry Starting Next Month 3... Updated Vaccines to Be Introduced in Q4 (Update)

SK Bioscience's 'Skycovione' Pre-Booking Starts from Next Month 1
Highway Tolls Waived for Four Days During Chuseok Holiday
9 Rest Area Temporary Screening Sites...Free PCR for Everyone

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The government has decided to abolish the mandatory submission of a negative COVID-19 test certificate before entry starting from the 3rd of next month. It also announced the direction for winter vaccinations, including updated vaccines and domestically produced vaccines.

Lee Ki-il, the 1st Chief Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Vice Minister of Health and Welfare), stated in his opening remarks at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the 31st, "From 0:00 on September 3rd, all domestic and foreign nationals arriving in the country by airplane or ship are no longer required to submit a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test certificate."

Currently, overseas entrants must submit a PCR negative certificate within 48 hours before entry or a professional rapid antigen test (RAT) negative certificate within 24 hours. The travel and tourism industries have pointed out the burden of testing costs abroad before entry and the low effectiveness due to the short interval between pre- and post-entry tests.

According to the government's improvement in testing policy, from the 3rd of next month, mandatory pre-entry testing will no longer be required, but PCR testing within one day after entry will be maintained. The Chief Coordinator explained, "Please understand that this is the minimum measure to block overseas variant infections."

The updated vaccine, which is more effective against BA.5 that accounts for over 90% of recent COVID-19 infections than existing vaccines, is scheduled to be introduced in the fourth quarter of this year. The Chief Coordinator explained, "Priority will be given to high-risk groups, but adults aged 18 and over who have completed at least two doses can also receive the vaccination."

'Skycovione,' the first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine by SK Bioscience, will begin vaccinations from next month. Pre-reservations start on the 1st, same-day and walk-in vaccinations begin on the 5th, and reserved vaccinations start on the 13th. The Chief Coordinator said, "The Skycovione vaccine has neutralizing antibody levels 2.9 times higher than existing vaccines and most adverse reactions are minimal," adding, "We recommend domestically produced vaccine vaccinations for adults aged 18 and over who have not yet been vaccinated."

The government also announced quarantine measures for the Chuseok holiday. First, toll fees will be waived for all vehicles using nationwide expressways during the four-day Chuseok holiday. Family gatherings and visits will be freely allowed without restrictions on the number of people, and eating indoors at rest areas, buses, and trains will be permitted. Temporary screening clinics will be set up at nine rest areas on expressways in Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam, and Jeonnam regions, where anyone can receive free PCR testing.

Additionally, the government will operate duty pharmacies near one-stop medical centers during the holiday period to ensure smooth prescription of oral antiviral treatments. If there are insufficient duty pharmacies nearby, local public health centers will be utilized to facilitate medicine purchases.

The Chief Coordinator said, "This Chuseok is the first holiday since the outbreak of COVID-19 without social distancing," and added, "The government will do its best in quarantine and medical response to ensure a peaceful and safe holiday for the people."