President Yoon Suk Yeol has officially declared that the Covid-19 pandemic is over. There will be no mandatory isolation for Covid-19 patients, no PCR tests for people entering Korea, and no obligatory mask wearing in hospitals and pharmacies. 

Chairing over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Thursday, Yoon said that he is pleased that the people are returning to their daily lives after three years and four months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The government has decided to lower the Clovid-19 crisis alert from severe to alert, with full implementation starting in June,” Yoon said. “At that time, the government will change the current seven-day mandatory quarantine for confirmed cases to a five-day recommendation quarantine, and remove the recommendation for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing upon entry into Korea.”

Also, all places other than hospitals with inpatient rooms will be free of the requirement to wear indoor masks, he added.

During his speech, President Yoon also thanked everyone involved in Covid-10 quarantine efforts.

“I would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and nursing assistants who have been on the front lines of combating the Covid-19, and to the health industry workers, local government officials, and health authorities who have been working to develop and produce vaccine treatments,” he said.