The Korean government will likely declare the actual end of the Covid-19 pandemic on Thursday.

According to the government on Wednesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol will personally preside over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Thursday and issue a message to the public.

As the meeting is normally chaired by the prime minister or the minister of health and welfare, government officials and industry insiders expect President Yoon to announce the official end of the Covid-19 pandemic in Korea.

The move follows the government's plans to downgrade its Covid-19 crisis level significantly.

According to various media reports, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has discussed combining the first and second phases of the previously announced "Covid-19 Crisis Level Downgrade Roadmap."

If the government implements the second phase, it will completely lift the obligation to quarantine people with Covid-19 and the obligation to wear masks indoors in medical institutions and pharmacies.

Health officials will also lower the Covid-19 infectious disease to a Level 4 infectious disease from its current Level 2 status.

As a result, the designation of Covid-19 inpatient beds and patient assignments for general hospitals will be terminated.

Also, the healthcare system will transition to the general healthcare system, the operation of one-stop care centers responsible for diagnosing and treating Covid-19 patients, and at-home treatment procedures will end.

However, the implementation of various measures under the second phase may vary depending on the conditions by the end of this month.

The regulation that requires Covid-19 patients to undergo mandatory quarantine will likely be implemented at the end of this month at the earliest, as it needs to go through an administrative notice and regulatory review for the government to amend relevant laws.