South Korea will lift its COVID-19 quarantine requirements and end testing recommendations for international arrivals starting June 1 after the World Health Organization declared the end of the global health emergency.
In lowering the coronavirus alert level from “critical” to plainly “alert” starting June 1, health authorities will also lift mask mandates in pharmacies and small clinics but will continue to require mask-wearing in large hospitals and long-term care facilities and other medical venues with high infection risks.
The decision was announced during a meeting attended by President Yoon Suk-yeol, where he thanked the country’s medical workers and said it was “delightful that people are getting their normal lives back after three and a half years.”
He pointed out that his government will take steps to improve the country’s capacity to deal with future pandemics, including providing stronger support for vaccine developments and expanding international cooperation.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said South Korea has been requiring seven-day quarantines for virus carriers. While the mandate will be lifted from June 1, health officials will continue to recommend people isolate for five days if they test positive for the virus.
There are concerns that the lifting of the quarantine mandate will result in people showing up to work when sick, considering the country’s notoriously harsh work culture.
WHO declared an end to the COVID-19 emergency last week, though Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the viral disease remained a global health threat.
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