COVID-19 Alert Lowered from “Serious” to “Caution”: Mandatory 7-day Quarantine Changed to 5-day Quarantine Recommendation

President Yoon Suk-yeol makes an opening comment at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in response to COVID-19 at the Office of the President in Yongsan, Seoul on May 11. Office of the President press photographers

On May 11, the government adjusted the COVID-19 crisis alert from “serious” to “caution” and lifted most of its disease control measures.

President Yoon Suk-yeol personally presided over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in response to COVID-19 at the Office of the President in Yongsan on Thursday morning and made the announcement in his opening comment.

The president said, “Today, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters decided to lower the Covid crisis alert from serious to caution and to implement related changes starting in June,” and added, “I am delighted that the people will be able to return to their daily lives for the first time in three years and four months (since the first case of Covid was confirmed in South Korea).”

The alert was lowered after taking into consideration the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) had lifted its Public Health Emergency for Covid on May 5 and after listening to recommendations of the advisory board on the national response to infectious disease crises.

Thus, the government announced that it will now recommend confirmed patients to stay in quarantine for five days instead of enforcing a mandatory 7-day quarantine, and also stop recommending PCR tests for people arriving in South Korea. Masks will no longer be mandatory anywhere except for hospital wards for inpatient treatment.

President Yoon said, “We are able to return to our everyday lives after a long pandemic thanks to the dedication and effort by many people,” and expressed his gratitude to “the doctors, nurses, and nursing assistants who committed themselves in the forefront; health care industry workers who worked to develop vaccines and treatments; and local government officials and health authorities.” He further said, “I deeply thank the citizens for their willing cooperation in disease control measures.”

The president continued and explained how the government had done its utmost to move away from “political disease control” to establishing a science-based response system centered on experts. He also pledged to steadily prepare a response system based on science to respond to new pandemics.

President Yoon said, “We will carefully prepare a post-Covid policy, such as digital policies, so we can switch the various social changes triggered by Covid into a drive for future growth.”

Twelve doctors, nurses and nursing assistants who personally treated and cared for COVID-19 patients in the hospitals were present in Thursday’s meeting. Before making his opening comment, President Yoon asked everyone present for a “big round of applause,” giving them a standing ovation.