[A summarized unofficial version of the press release]

KDCA to Lower COVID-19 to Class 4 from Class 2 disease, marking a major step toward returning to normal

The government decides to downgrade the legal status of COVID-19 to class 4 from class 2 infectious diseases and implement the second phase of the COVID-19 alert level adjustment road map given the fact that the risk (fatality) of disease it causes declines and its spread slows during the summer.

It plans to transition from mandatory surveillance to sentinel surveillance of COVID-19 and take a multi-layered surveillance approach*, involving using surveillance of those who test positive and wastewater, to closely monitor disease incidence and severity and detect new variants.      

* Consistent tendency was observed in the rise and fall of notified cases between the mandatory and sentinel surveillance system.

Nevertheless, it will continue to maintain some measures to protect high-risk groups, such as mandatory masking in hospital-level institutions and group residential facilities and provision of financial assistance for COVID-19 testing and treatment.

Considering the current disease incidence and severity, the government will take following public health measures: keeping COVID-19 alert level at “Warning (Level 3)”, further strengthening protection of vulnerable facilities, and implementing an autumn/winter vaccination program with new vaccines that target XBB variants.  

Osong, 23^rd August 2023 – The government decides to downgrade the legal status of COVID-19 to class 4 from class 2 infectious disease and implement the second phase of the COVID-19 alert level adjustment road map at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters meeting led by KDCA Commissioner Youngmee Jee on August 23^rd. The move comes as COVID-19 has become a lot less deadly and spread of the infection has been slower in the summer time.

Nevertheless, the government decides to keep COVID-19 alert level at "Warning (Level 3)" and partially maintain its measures to safeguard high-risk groups such as mask mandate in hospital-level institutions and group residential facilities and ICU beds and wards reserved for COVID-19 patients in health facilities for the time being.

[Reclassification to class 4 and the second phase of the road map]

      1. Public health measures

2. Medical response system

3. Support system

4. Surveillance system

As COVID-19 is reclassified as class 4 notifiable infectious diseases, sentinel surveillance of the COVID-19 will be implemented, a major shift from the mandatory surveillance system previously used to monitor notified cases.

Even after the transition, in order to effectively monitor disease incidence and severity and detect new variants, the government will take a multi-layered surveillance approach including using surveillance of those who test positive for COVID-19 and wastewater.

To safely transition to mandatory surveillance system, surveillance of those who test positive for COVID-19 will be temporarily implemented until the end of this year. As influenza-like illness (ILI) sentinel surveillance sites (current: 200 sites) are not sufficient to monitor COVID-19, the government will designate 527 sites* that conduct surveillance of those who test positive for COVID-19 to monitor occurrence trends (by region, age and sex) and the emergence and spread of variants on a weekly basis.

* Clinical surveillance: 527 sites (1 site per municipality/province with 100,000 inhabitants) and pathogen surveillance: 105 sites

[COVID-19 alert level remaining unchanged to brace for future virus spread]

The government decides to keep COVID-19 alert level at "Warning (Level 3)" through an emergency assessment meeting considering the continued prevalence of COVID-19, albeit at a reduced level in the summer time.

In line with the decision, the national crisis alert system remains activated involving MoHW (Ministry of Health and Welfare)'s Central Disaster Management Headquarters (CDMHQ), KDCA's Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCHQ) and Local Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters formed by each local government.

In consideration with the fact that high-risk groups are highly likely to be get seriously ill and continuous preparations for and responses to new COVID-19 variant EG.5* with strong immune escape are needed, additional measures for stable control of COVID-19 will be also taken, including further strengthening protection of vulnerable facilities and implementing an autumn/winter vaccination program.

*WHO classifies EG.5 as COVID-19 'variant of interest' on August 9^th for the first time since it has lifted the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for COVID-19 on May 5^th.

Commissioner Jee noted, “the National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan (2023-2027), jointly announced by government Ministries in May contains the key elements of COVID-19 standing recommendations. The KDCA is committed to tirelessly implementing this plan, as we firmly believe it will enhance our capacity to respond to infectious diseases and enable us to maintain close collaboration with the international community in the future.”

She also said, “In our dedication to safeguarding public health, the KDCA will fulfill our responsibility, serving as a command center for infectious disease response. We will intimately work together with relevant Ministries and local governments until COVID-19 transitions to an endemic phase and can be routinely managed.

“Alongside COVID-19, respiratory infectious diseases, such as influenza continue to prevail. I urge everyone to wear masks, wash hands for at least 30 seconds with soap before and after going outdoors, practice proper coughing etiquette, and regularly ventilate and disinfect shared areas. The public’s voluntary and active cooperation in adhering to theses daily preventive measures will take us toward a more mature civic society,” she added.

* For detailed information, please refer to the press release written in the Korean language in the file attached below.