Gyeongbuk Province, ‘COVID-19’ crisis level downgraded to ‘concern’… effective from the 1st of next month

[경북종합=뉴스핌] Reporter Nam Hyo-seon = Gyeongbuk Province announced on the 24th that the Central Quarantine Countermeasure Headquarters’ downgrade of the COVID-19 crisis level will take effect from May 1.

Previously, the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters downgraded the COVID-19 crisis level from the current ‘vigilance’ to ‘concern’ level on the 19th.

Accordingly, the legal obligation to take quarantine measures is lifted and converted to voluntary quarantine practice.

First, the obligation to wear masks in medical institutions and facilities vulnerable to infection and to preemptively test residents of facilities vulnerable to infection will be changed to recommendations.

Additionally, quarantine for confirmed cases will change from ‘recommended for 5 days’ to ‘recommended until 24 hours after the main symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, fever, headache, etc.)’ improve.

The medical support system aims to be incorporated into the general medical system at the level of seasonal flu, but is adjusted to minimize the burden of testing and treatment costs to protect high-risk groups.

In the case of test cost support, Gyeongbuk Province will only maintain health insurance support for some symptomatic patients, including those eligible for oral treatment (those over 60 years old, those with underlying diseases over 12 years old, and those with reduced immunity), and will end support for test costs for asymptomatic people altogether.

Government support for a portion of the out-of-pocket costs for isolation hospitalization treatment for seriously ill patients will also be suspended.

Health insurance support will continue, and the existing government purchase and distribution support system for treatments will be maintained, but free support will be maintained only for those who are eligible to receive medical benefits and those in the lowest tier of out-of-pocket expenses.

Free vaccination will be maintained for all citizens throughout the 2023-2024 season, and starting with the 2024-2025 season, free vaccination will continue limited to high-risk groups (elderly people over 65 years old, immunocompromised people, etc.).

In addition, the temporary surveillance of positive COVID-19 cases will be terminated, and COVID-19 will be monitored through a respiratory specimen surveillance system along with influenza in the future.

As the crisis level was downgraded, the Central Accident Control Headquarters (Ministry of Health and Welfare) and the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), which had been established since January 2020, have ended their operations.

However, the COVID-19 task force within the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency will continue to respond to COVID-19 by operating as before.

Hwang Young-ho, director of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Welfare and Health Bureau, said, “The crisis level has been lowered to restore daily life, but support such as treatment to protect high-risk groups will be maintained to reduce the burden on residents and minimize damage.” He added, “Even with the relaxation of quarantine measures, we will continue to monitor the epidemic situation.” “We will do our best to protect the health of our residents,” he said.

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