Quarantine period for vaccinated patients to be reduced to seven days

Quarantine period of vaccinated COVID-19 patients will be reduced from 10 days to seven days, effective Wednesday next week. In addition, from next Thursday people died from the coronavirus will be allowed to be cremated after a ceremony. The government announced Friday a change in the quarantine system designed to respond to the looming pandemic of the Omicron variant.

Vaccinated COVID-19 patients with relatively mild symptoms will be released after seven days of isolation. However, COVID-19 patients who took the second dose more than 180 days ago or an unvaccinated patient should remain isolated for 10 days, which is unchanged. The duration of isolation for those coming from overseas will remain at 10 days.

Meanwhile, more patients can take COVID-19 pills from Wednesday since people aged 60 and older will also be allowed to take the medication. Currently, people aged 65 and older and immunocompromised people are allowed to take Pfizer’s Paxlovid pills. Also, patients who are housed at nursing hospitals, nursing facilities, and infectious disease hospitals will also be eligible for prescription of the pills.


asap@donga.com