Ulsan City Lowers COVID-19 Crisis Level to 'Interest' Starting May 1

Isolation recommended until 24 hours after major symptoms improve

Continued support for testing and treatment of severe patients, including therapeutics and vaccines

Ulsan City announced on the 30th that, in accordance with the government's policy, the COVID-19 crisis level will be downgraded from the current "Alert" to the lowest level, "Interest," starting May 1.

Accordingly, mandatory quarantine measures such as mask-wearing in hospital-level medical institutions and residential infection-vulnerable facilities, which have been maintained since the adjustment to a Class 4 infectious disease last August, as well as preemptive testing for residents of nursing hospitals and facilities, will all be changed to recommendations.

In addition, the isolation recommendation criteria for confirmed cases will be relaxed from the previous "5 days from specimen collection" to "until 24 hours have passed after major COVID-19 symptoms such as cough and fever have improved," similar to seasonal influenza.

The medical support system aims to be incorporated into the general medical system at the same level as seasonal influenza, but as a transitional phase, it will be adjusted to minimize the burden of testing and treatment costs to protect high-risk groups.

COVID-19 vaccination will remain free only through the 2023?2024 season, and from the 2024?2025 season onward, free vaccination will be provided only to high-risk groups such as seniors aged 65 and over and immunocompromised individuals.

A city official said, "We thank the citizens who trusted and cooperated with Ulsan City's quarantine policies despite the inconveniences caused by preemptive testing and social distancing," and added, "Even though the crisis level is downgraded to Interest, we ask everyone to adhere to personal quarantine rules such as handwashing, cough etiquette, and indoor ventilation in daily life to prevent COVID-19 and other infectious diseases."

Looking at the recent five-week positive case reports in the Ulsan area, the numbers have been steadily decreasing: 130 in the third week of March, 94 in the fourth week of March, 65 in the first week of April, 52 in the second week of April, and 40 in the third week of April.