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| A banner set up at a COVID-19 testing center near Seoul Station, Sunday, reads that free rapid antigen tests will no longer be offered there starting on Monday. Yonhap |
By Lee Hyo-jin
As COVID-19 infections are gradually showing signs of slowing down, the government is gearing up to shift to a "post-Omicron" era, in which the coronavirus might be treated as an endemic disease and COVID-19 might be managed more routinely within the general medical system.
The country added 164,481 new infections on Saturday, raising the aggregated total to 15,333,670. The number of patients in a critical condition marked 1,114, with 329 COVID-19-related deaths.
The health authorities view that infections have entered a downward trend, with nearly 30 percent of the country's population of 51 million having been infected.
While the government plans to announce a detailed roadmap for the post-Omicron era later this week, it has already started scaling down pandemic response measures.
Beginning Monday, screening centers installed at public health centers will no longer offer free rapid antigen tests, as local clinics are set to play a bigger role in testing and treating patients. The public testing sites will only offer PCR tests to priority groups, such as people aged 60 or over.
Others may take rapid antigen tests at local clinics, which are priced at around 5,000 won each. The list of available hospitals can be viewed on the website of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.
Starting April 7, those infected with COVID-19 have been allowed to visit pharmacies to pick up medication prescribed to them after non-face-to-face consultations with a doctor. Previously, due to the risk of infection, it was required to have the medication picked up by an uninfected family member.
The health ministry plans to ease pandemic response measures further, including possibly lifting the current social distancing measures, such as the limits on the number of people permitted at private gatherings and on operating hours for multi-use facilities, after the current rules end on April 17.
The ministry also said it will gradually close down residential treatment centers that have been operated for asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms, as home treatment has become the default approach for those infected, except for those in vulnerable groups.
Furthermore, in order to manage COVID-19 more routinely within the country's medical system, the government is considering lowering its infectious disease level, two years after it was designated at "Level 1," the highest level in its four-tier system.
If the coronavirus is reclassified to a lower level, patients may not be subject to mandatory self-isolation and the costs of treatment may not be covered by Korea's national health insurance. Also, active cases may not be required to be reported immediately, but only within 24 hours from detection.
Vaccine supply outstrips demand
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| A person receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Dongjak District, Seoul, July 30, 2021. Yonhap |
Meanwhile, the government is trying to manage a hefty surplus of COVID-19 vaccines, which is the opposite situation from last year, when the country was grappling with a shortage of doses.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), while 96 percent of people aged 18 and above have been fully vaccinated with their primary vaccinations, there are over 17 million doses in stock, with over 100 million doses scheduled to arrive within this year.
The KDCA said Friday that the country will not receive the 17 million doses it has ordered from the COVAX facility, and it is engaging in discussions with pharmaceutical companies to push back the shipment dates of doses secured via contracts. It is also considering donating soon-to-expire doses to other countries.
At the same time, the agency is also reviewing whether to expand the eligibility of a fourth dose of the vaccine to the broader elderly population, as a fourth shot is currently being offered to medical workers and residents of nursing homes.
The health authorities are also mulling over whether to recommend a booster shot to people who have been infected with COVID-19 after completing their primary vaccinations, which is a change from its previous stance, whereby a third dose of the vaccine was not "highly recommended" for those who had recovered from a breakthrough infection.
