Korea will lift all Covid-19 restrictions except for the mask mandate next week. The “liberation from corona” came two years and one month after the country introduced the social distancing system in March 2020.
government will decide whether to remove the outdoor masking rule two weeks later, considering quarantine situations.
"Starting Monday, restaurants, cafes, and other service businesses will be allowed to operate freely without a curfew, and people will also be able to meet regardless of numbers," Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday. "We have also removed the limits on the number of gatherers at events, assemblies, and religious facilities."
However, the mandatory wearing of face masks will remain in force.
"Wearing a mask indoors will still be unavoidable for a long period," Kim said. "However, the government will decide on lifting wearing masks outdoors, which has a relatively lower risk, two weeks later evaluating the quarantine status."
As the nation returns to normalcy, the government will also remove restrictions regarding eating in public facilities, such as movie theaters, indoor gyms, and religious facilities, from April 25, Kim added.
However, Kim stressed that efforts to prevent infection are still important.
"During the one-week preparation period, relevant ministries, organizations, associations, and industry should cooperate closely to develop a multi-faceted plan to protect users from infection," Kim said.
In the same vein, the government will adjust the Covid-19’s infectious disease grade from Grade 1 to 2 on April 25.
"When we adjust the disease grade, there will be many changes, such as changing the mandatory quarantine to a recommendation and eliminating at-home treatment," Kim said. "Therefore, we plan to implement the eased measure in stages with a transition period of four weeks until May 23 to minimize confusion."
After the transition period, the new government will evaluate the level of implementation and make a final decision on whether to make a full-scale transition, Kim added.
Kim stressed that while the government has decided to lift quarantine measures, it will continue to prepare thoroughly under the assumption that the danger may come again.
"We will strengthen the monitoring system in preparation for new variants and re-infections and prepare to restart medical resources when a crisis is detected quickly," Kim said.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)'s post-Omicron road map, the seven-day mandatory quarantine for Covid-19 patients will also be gone in late May.
Covid-19 patients will then be able to receive face-to-face treatment at all hospitals and clinics without undergoing quarantine.
Also, the government will transition from its 3T (testing, tracing, and treating) system to the general healthcare system in all areas. Covid-19 testing and diagnosis will now only be available at private medical institutions. Public health centers will only conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCT) tests for high-risk groups, such as those aged 60 or older and nursing hospitals and facilities workers.
KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong pointed out that the transition could come later than planned, depending on the Covid-19 situation and the speed of systemic transition.
"The systemic transition is more complex than readjusting the grade of an infectious disease or easing quarantine measures. A new start for the safe resumption of daily life and establishing a routine treatment system will take more time and effort," Jeong said. "Therefore, it is a difficult challenge."
The KDCA confirmed 125,846 new virus cases on Friday, raising the cumulative caseload to 16,104,869.
Critically ill patients stood at 999, down 37 from the previous day, marking the second consecutive day that the number of daily severe cases dropped to triple digits. An additional 264 people died, lifting the death toll to 20,616, with a fatality rate of 0.13 percent.
As of Thursday, 32.97 million people have received booster shots, or 64.2 percent of the country's population. The number of fully vaccinated people also came to 44.52 million, representing 86.8 percent of Koreans, the KDCA said.
The government has started providing the fourth jab of the virus for people aged 60 and older from Thursday.
Health authorities will provide the second boosters using mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna, for older adults who have surpassed 120 days after receiving the third shot. If they wish, those eligible can also receive Novavax's vaccine.
Considering the interval between vaccinations, the government estimates that the number of subjects for the fourth vaccination will be about 16.66 million as of this month, 1.13 million people in May, and 440,000 people after June.