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Seoul Land, an amusement park in Gwacheon, bustles with visitors enjoying the warm weather over the weekend. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

As early as this week, the South Korean government will announce its plans for Korea’s post-Omicron pandemic response, as well the new social distancing regime. Koreans are awaiting the announcement with bated breath, since it could bring considerable changes to national routines, including business restrictions, quarantines, mask-wearing, and the consumption of food indoors.

A review of statements by officials from Korea’s Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters as of Sunday makes it appear likely that the post-Omicron system will contain specific measures aimed at returning to ordinary routines.

“Provided that the current wave begins to definitely decline over the next two weeks and that the number of critically ill patients and the medical system hold steady, we will consider removing all restrictions on hours of operation, private gatherings, and large-scale events, except for key restrictions such as wearing masks indoors,” Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on April 1.

A total of 164,481 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Korea on Saturday, the second day in a row that the caseload remained below 200,000. The disease claimed 329 lives on Saturday, as deaths remained in the 300-399 range for the fifth day in a row, while the number of critically ill patients was at 1,114, up 15 from the previous day (1,099).

We’ve examined which measures the government is currently reviewing and what impact they would have on Koreans’ everyday lives.

The quarantine period for people infected with COVID-19 could be shortened or cut entirely.

The government currently requires those infected with Omicron to quarantine themselves for seven days, while allowing a special three-day quarantine period for medical professionals and other essential workers. But if the government downgrades COVID-19’s legal infectious disease status from Class 1, the highest possible level, the quarantine period for confirmed cases could be shortened or eliminated entirely.

Class 1 infectious diseases have tougher quarantine requirements than diseases in classes 2-4, and medical facilities are required to immediately report any such cases. In effect, downgrading COVID-19 could bring about changes in such guidelines.

The government may also reduce the support that infected individuals are given for COVID-19 treatments. At the moment, the government only covers all treatment and quarantine costs for Class 1 infectious diseases (such as COVID-19) and some Class 2 diseases.

A sign at a temporary COVID-19 screening station outside of Seoul Station states that it will no longer be providing rapid antigen COVID-19 tests as of April 10. (Yonhap News)

Before long, eating may be allowed at indoor stadiums and auditoriums.

“We have suggested the need for a more pragmatic assessment of the disease control guidelines that ban the consumption of food inside the Gocheok Sky Dome, in contrast with other baseball stadiums, on the grounds that the sky-dome is an indoor stadium, even though it has its own air ventilation system,” the presidential transition committee said on April 8.

Korea’s disease control authorities responded by explaining that they “plan to draw up improved measures.”

The announced measures might also address relaxing outdoor mask-wearing requirements. The government’s earlier remarks about easing all pandemic restrictions except for indoor mask-wearing had led some to predict that outdoor mask-wearing rules will be eased.

But that doesn’t seem very likely. “The question of whether to end mask-wearing is not a matter of high priority,” said Son Young-rae, head of the social strategy team at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters, on Wednesday.

Limitations on business hours and the size of gatherings may be wholly ended on April 17. That’s the expiration date of Korea’s current social distancing rules, which cap private gatherings at 10 people and require businesses to close at midnight.

After announcing the current social distancing regime, the government has indicated it might further relax those rules if the situation holds steady.

“Given the current pandemic situation, this is a time when we need to take steps to relax social distancing rules, though those rules could be toughened again if a dangerous variant arises,” Son said in a briefing on Wednesday.

As of Monday, public health centers and temporary screening centers will stop providing rapid antigen tests. PCR tests will continue to be available at public health centers for people in the following categories: those aged 60 and above, those with an epidemiological justification (such as coming into close contact with an infected person, being released from quarantine, or entering the country), those who need to be tested preemptively at nursing homes and other facilities prone to infection, and those who have tested positive on a home testing kit or a rapid antigen test.

Others who need to be tested can receive a rapid antigen test at a health care facility designated by the government for treating respiratory conditions.

By Park June-yong, staff reporter

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