Among 5 New Confirmed Cases, 1 Is a 'Reinfection'... "WHO Emergency Declaration Lifted, Quarantine Obligation Under Review"

A citizen is undergoing a COVID-19 test at the screening clinic of Yongsan-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. / Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] One out of five new COVID-19 cases is estimated to be a reinfection. The health authorities plan to review the adjustment of isolation requirements for confirmed cases when discussing the domestic crisis level adjustment following the World Health Organization (WHO)'s lifting of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) on the 26th, the weekly new confirmed cases in the third week of this month (15th?21st) were 208,638, a 30.6% decrease compared to the previous week. The infection reproduction number was 0.77, maintaining below '1' for three consecutive weeks. An infection reproduction number below 1 indicates suppression of the outbreak.

The average daily number of severe and critical patients in care was 479, down 8.6% from the previous week. The average daily deaths were 39, also decreasing by 23.3% compared to the previous week. Considering the trends in severe cases and deaths, the health authorities assessed the weekly COVID-19 risk level as 'low' nationwide, in the metropolitan area, and in non-metropolitan areas. This is the first time in 13 weeks since the third week of October that the COVID-19 risk level has been evaluated as low.

Additionally, the proportion of estimated reinfection cases among weekly confirmed cases in the second week of this month (8th?14th) was 21.5%, up from 19.9% the previous week. This is the first time the reinfection estimate rate has exceeded 20%.

Regarding the weekly variant virus detection rate, BN.1 rose from 39.2% the previous week to 46.3%. The previously dominant BA.5 accounted for 22.0%, BQ.1 for 9.3%, and BQ.1.1 for 4.5%, with the total detection rate of BA.5 sublineages at 38.9%, down by 7.7 percentage points. The XBB.1.5 variant, which is increasing in the United States, was detected 8 additional times, bringing the cumulative domestic cases to 39.

Starting next Monday, the 30th, the indoor mask-wearing mandate will be adjusted to a recommendation, drawing attention to whether the remaining quarantine obligation of 7 days for confirmed cases will also be adjusted. Lim Sook-young, head of the CDCH Situation Management Office, explained at a briefing that "When WHO lifts the COVID-19 public health emergency and Korea adjusts its crisis level, a comprehensive review will be conducted."