From Tomorrow, Nursing Hospitals and Facilities Resume 'Contact Visits'... "Wear Masks and Avoid Eating"

Fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Dose Recipients Allowed to Go Out and Stay Out

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] From the 4th, in-person contact visits at nursing hospitals and facilities will resume. It has been about 70 days since contact visits were banned at nursing hospitals and facilities from the end of July, when the COVID-19 resurgence began in earnest, allowing only non-contact visits separated by partitions.

The government announced at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the 30th of last month that "considering the number of cluster infections in vulnerable facilities decreased by 64%, from 3,015 in August to 1,075 in September, and the fourth dose vaccination rate at nursing hospitals and facilities is very high at 90.3%, we will ease quarantine measures for vulnerable facilities."

Earlier, as the Omicron wave subsided from February to April this year, from June 20th, restrictions on in-person contact visits at vulnerable facilities such as nursing hospitals and facilities, psychiatric hospitals and facilities, and facilities for the disabled were lifted, and outings and overnight stays for residents were allowed. However, as the sixth COVID-19 resurgence spread from early July, quarantine measures were strengthened again from July 25th, banning in-person contact visits and outings/overnight stays, and suspending external program operations.

With the COVID-19 resurgence peak passed in September, recent key quarantine indicators have stabilized, and a significant number of facility residents and workers have completed the fourth vaccine dose. Considering the visitation needs of residents and their families, authorities explained that quarantine measures for these vulnerable facilities will be eased to the level before the sixth resurgence.

Accordingly, from the 4th, visitors can have in-person visits with inpatients or residents of nursing hospitals and facilities anytime after confirming a negative result with a self-diagnosis kit before the visit. Visitors must wear masks during visits and refrain from eating or drinking.

If elderly residents at nursing hospitals and facilities have completed the fourth vaccination, outings and overnight stays will also be permitted. Until now, outings were only allowed for outpatient medical treatment. However, upon returning to the nursing hospital or facility after an outing, a rapid antigen test (RAT) must be taken.

External programs at nursing hospitals and facilities will also resume. Instructors conducting the programs must have completed the third vaccination or have a history of infection after at least two doses, and must undergo preemptive testing if symptomatic. Weekly preemptive testing for workers at vulnerable facilities will be maintained, with adjustments to be decided based on the epidemic situation.

Lee Ki-il, the first chief coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said, "To spend this winter peacefully, thorough preparation in advance is necessary," and added, "Since influenza and COVID-19 outbreaks may occur simultaneously in winter, we ask for active participation in vaccination and quarantine measures."