Declaration of COVID-19 Endemic, Pohang City Focuses on 'Livelihood Recovery' ... Returning to Normal Life After Over 3 Years

Mask Mandate Lifted, COVID-19 Isolation from 7 to 5 Days Recommended

Prioritizing Rapid Return to Normal Life and Public Health, Maintaining Medical Response System

Mayor Lee Gang-deok: “Gratitude to Medical Staff and Citizens, Follow-up Mea

Pohang City announced on the 11th that, as it enters the endemic era after about 3 years and 4 months since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in January 2020, it plans to accelerate the recovery of daily life focusing on revitalizing the livelihood economy.

Pohang Mayor Lee Kang-deok is attending the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters video meeting chaired by President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 11th.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters held a video conference on the 11th, presided over by President Yoon Seok-yeol, and adjusted the COVID-19 crisis alert level from ‘Severe’ to ‘Warning,’ which will be fully applied starting in June.

According to this measure, the mandatory 7-day isolation for confirmed cases will be changed to a 5-day recommendation, and the PCR test recommendation after entry will be lifted. Mask-wearing at clinics and pharmacies will be recommended rather than mandatory, while mask-wearing will be maintained for the time being in infection-vulnerable facilities such as hospital-level or higher inpatient institutions to ensure citizens' safety.

Following this government policy, Pohang City will promote the medical response system and government support for treatment costs according to the roadmap to reduce the burden on citizens and minimize health damage, and will focus administrative efforts on livelihood recovery to swiftly restore daily life.

Accordingly, protection for high-risk groups and other vulnerable populations will be strengthened, and COVID-19 related testing and treatment support will be maintained for the time being.

To effectively monitor the emergence of new variants and the spread of outbreaks, which are concerns after easing quarantine measures, related data will be continuously collected and analyzed for monitoring. Along with the rapid recovery of daily life, the medical response system will be maintained prioritizing the health of high-risk and vulnerable citizens, and proactive quarantine measures will be taken.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, “I am grateful to the medical staff, citizens, and all employees who dedicated themselves to coming through the long pandemic and returning to daily life, and through that experience, we have acquired an ‘optimized crisis response DNA.’ I will prioritize protecting citizens and do my best without lowering vigilance to swiftly restore daily life while safeguarding citizens’ health and happiness.”