South Korea’s response to positive cases in 2022

1. The four new coronavirus pandemics in South Korea and their response measures

(1) The response foundation established in the early stages of the virus epidemic (January to March 2020)

On January 20, 2020, the first patient with new coronavirus pneumonia appeared in South Korea. The government upgraded the infectious disease crisis warning level to "caution" and established the "Central Anti-epidemic Countermeasures Headquarters" headed by the director of the Agency for Disease Control and Prevention. ", mainly responsible for front-line epidemic prevention work such as flow control, diagnostic testing, and quarantine of personnel involved. On January 27, the infectious disease crisis warning was upgraded to "alert", and the "Central Incident Management Headquarters" headed by the Minister of Health and Welfare was established. It is mainly responsible for supporting medical response, pan-governmental response system rectification and other infectious disease crisis situations. . In late February, collective infection among the "Xincheonji" (religious) community in Gyeongbuk, Daegu triggered the first epidemic of the new coronavirus in South Korea, with more than 10,000 confirmed patients. Subsequently, the government upgraded the infectious disease risk of the COVID-19 epidemic to a "serious" stage and launched the "Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters" headed by the Prime Minister. The central government and local governments held three meetings a week to discuss related matters. and decisions, and disclose the government's decision-making process to front-line units through video conferencing. So far, South Korea has established a governance system of "Epidemic Countermeasures Headquarters - Central Accident Management Headquarters - Central Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters". In accordance with the government's pace of governance, socially distanced measures such as social distancing systems and personal hygiene codes have been formulated, and the establishment of testing points and special entry quarantine procedures for local self-governing groups have been strengthened. In addition, the principle of isolating all confirmed patients in medical institutions or specialized facilities was formulated, and it was decided to establish a hospital bed allocation system that can deal with a variety of severe illnesses, establish a life-long treatment center, and designate public hospitals specialized in disease-related medical systems.

(2) Improving the active response system (April-October 2020)

The Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea published a plan called "K-Epidemic Prevention 3T (Test- Trace-Treat) International Standardization Roadmap" epidemic prevention strategy. Its model includes the following specific steps: (1) examination and diagnosis (Test); (2) epidemiological investigation and traceability (Trace); (3) isolation and treatment (Treat), which is the "3T strategy". In order to improve the infectious disease response system and strengthen its independence and professionalism, the Disease Management Headquarters, which was originally under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, was upgraded to an independent "office". The Disease Management Office can carry out various surveys and research on disease management and health promotion. Research work. In order to effectively allocate hospital beds and ensure the joint use of beds for severe patients, the government has established a regional hospital bed coordination response system and added hospital beds for severe patients. During this period, the second epidemic of COVID-19 occurred in South Korea, mainly caused by the "8·15" rally in the capital area, which showed that collective infections in small and medium-sized groups continued to recur.

(3) Reorganization of the response system (November 2020-February 2021)

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will begin to maintain social distancing measures for existing personnel on November 7, 2020. The distance policy has been improved and its content further refined. Considering that epidemic prevention measures and the medical system have been strengthened at this time, the standards for maintaining social distance have been adjusted, and the prevention system has been restructured based on the known characteristics of the new coronavirus and problems that have arisen in the process of adjusting social distance. The social distance was changed from 3 stages to 5 stages, and names such as "Phase 1.5" and "Phase 2.5" familiar to the people were used, and they were divided into daily epidemic prevention (Phase 1) and regional epidemic (Phase 2). 1.5, stage 2), nationwide epidemic (stage 2.5, stage 3). The third epidemic was from November 13, 2020 to January 20, 2021, which concentrated in collective living facilities such as nursing homes and training centers, with approximately 45,000 confirmed patients. In response to this new coronavirus pandemic, South Korea has strengthened the management of infection-prone facilities such as nursing homes, banned private gatherings of more than 5 people, and limited business hours to before 21:00. As the number of confirmed patients increased in the metropolitan area, an emergency medical response plan was announced to expand 10,000 hospital beds.

(4) Implementation and continuation of vaccination (March-October 2021)

Based on the development of the epidemic, the South Korean government released a free vaccination plan for all and implemented it sequentially. In the first quarter, the vaccination targets are personnel in nursing homes, medical welfare facilities for the elderly, and high-risk employees in medical institutions; in the second quarter, the vaccination targets are people over 65 years old, and medical staff in medical institutions and pharmacies; in the third quarter, the vaccination targets are patients with chronic diseases , adults (19-64 years old); the vaccination targets in the fourth quarter are those who have been vaccinated for the second time and those who have not been vaccinated. The South Korean government has also prepared a medical response system for an average of 20,000 new confirmed cases per day, and formulated and promoted stronger prevention and control strategies. On July 7, 2021, the fourth COVID-19 pandemic occurred. After the summer vacation, large-scale infections occurred across the country, with more than 110,000 confirmed patients. In response, the government implemented the strictest social distancing measures in the metropolitan area. For example, private gatherings must not exceed 4 people before 18:00 and no more than 2 people after 18:00, and any gatherings in the capital area are prohibited; all entertainment activities in public facilities will be stopped, and other facilities can only be open until 22:00; sports Competitions can only be played without spectators; schools have fully implemented remote teaching; religious facilities can only conduct "contactless" worship.

2. Phased restoration of daily life order

(1) Relaxation of control and restrictive measures (November 2021-January 2022)

The Korean Government It is believed that after the COVID-19 vaccination begins, when the public vaccination rate reaches 70%, especially the high-risk groups who are susceptible to infection reaches more than 90%, the risk of infection can be greatly reduced. Due to long-term and sustained epidemic prevention measures, the income of self-employed individuals, small traders and vulnerable groups continues to decrease. Social and cultural problems such as losses in educational institutions, epidemic anxiety and nursing vacancies are intensifying. In order to establish a new social epidemic response system that is sustainable and coordinated with daily life, the South Korean government began to resume social daily life in stages on November 1, 2021. Social distance has been adjusted from general restrictions to suppress confirmed cases to dedicated In order to increase vaccination, curb severe illness, reduce mortality, and cut off the spread of the new coronavirus to unvaccinated and susceptible people. This adjustment will be divided into three stages to gradually relax epidemic prevention measures. Taking into account economic difficulties and epidemic prevention risks, the measures will be relaxed in the order of public facilities, large-scale activities, and private gatherings.

Figure-1 The daily number of new confirmed COVID-19 patients in South Korea from February to April 2022

Source: Self-made based on data from South Korea’s official COVID-19 website, http://ncov.mohw. go.kr/

Since February 2022, the epidemic of Omicron has caused the rapid spread of the new crown epidemic. South Korea has set a record for the highest number of new confirmed cases in a single day for many consecutive days. Starting from the third week of January 2022, the number of confirmed cases has tripled every week. On March 17 alone, the number of newly confirmed cases exceeded 620,000, reaching a historical peak. Although the number of confirmed patients in Omicron has been updated day by day, with the largest number of cases, the severe and fatal rates are low, and asymptomatic and mild patients account for the majority. Therefore, in response to the current epidemic prevention system that may reduce efficiency and lack the ability to manage high-risk groups, the Korean government has begun to shift to a more routine epidemic prevention and medical response system, that is, an examination and treatment system centered on community hospitals, so that health centers and community hospitals can share the burden In response to the new coronavirus, we will effectively implement diagnosis and treatment of high-risk groups. For PCR tests at health centers, testing points, and clinical sampling points, priority will be given to those who are related to influenza, or have a doctor's opinion, and are over 60 years old, as well as those who have positive results from self-test reagents or expert rapid antigen tests, and employees of nursing homes and other susceptible facilities. High-risk groups such as COVID-19 can be given priority for testing, and community hospitals are designated to provide consultations for ordinary confirmed patients who do not fall into the above situations and are at low risk, and self-testing reagents can be used for diagnosis and examination of the new coronavirus epidemic. In addition, when diagnosed in a designated hospital or clinic, you can directly enjoy the treatment of the hospital or clinic until the home treatment is completed. Starting from April 1, all overseas arrivals who have completed vaccination do not need to be quarantined at home, and the epidemic prevention and triage facilities at Incheon International Airport have begun to be dismantled.

From April 4 to 17, the limit on private gatherings was expanded from 8 to 10 people, and the business hours of restaurants, cafes, bars, cinemas and other service industries were postponed to midnight. Taking into account the trend of fewer confirmed patients and the expansion of inspection scope in community hospitals, South Korea stopped COVID-19 testing at health centers on April 11 and switched to a private-centered inspection system. People can purchase antigen test kits for inspection on their own. Or go to a designated community hospital, city hospital or specialized respiratory clinic for testing. (3) Response system for the "post-Omicron period" (April 18, 2022 to present)

On April 15, 2022, the South Korean government announced the response system for the "post-Omicron period" Response system, proposed lowering the level of prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infectious diseases, ending high-load medical operations, and starting to respond to the COVID-19 epidemic with the general medical system. At present, South Korea plans to formulate a response plan in stages with a preparation period, an implementation period and a consolidation period, including: diagnosis, testing, isolation, support, influenza control, quarantine, home treatment, first aid, and assistance to vulnerable groups such as special patients. The South Korean government announced that it will fully lift social distancing measures against the new coronavirus epidemic from April 18, including lifting restrictions on business hours of service departments, as well as related restrictions on private parties, activities, gatherings, etc., and the epidemic prevention work will shift to daily practice of the epidemic prevention system. This is an important sign that South Korea has started to return to the order of daily life 757 days after the social distance policy was implemented on March 22, 2020. Starting from April 25, the COVID-19 epidemic has been reduced from Level 1, the highest level of infectious disease, to Level 2; starting from May 2, people will be allowed to hold small-scale gatherings and activities, and people will no longer be forced to attend most outdoor activities. Wearing a mask means that South Korea has lifted the "mask order" that lasted for 566 days and is one step closer to restoring order in daily life. At present, it has been three weeks since South Korea lifted the above-mentioned restrictive measures, but the number of confirmed patients has maintained a relatively stable downward trend, and the entry testing procedures have also been greatly simplified. In addition, starting from May 1, South Korea will fully open online sales channels for COVID-19 self-test kits. The Korea Travel Industry Association also stated on the 6th that it will open a new coronavirus screening center for domestic and foreign tourists in Seoul. Starting from June 1, South Korea's Jeju and Yangyang International Airports allow foreigners to enter visa-free. This is the first time in February 2020 that South Korea has resumed the visa-free entry policy for foreigners.

3. South Korea’s experience in implementing the “K-epidemic prevention” policy

(1) The government’s appropriate response measures in the early stages of the epidemic won a good anti-epidemic impression

In the early days of the epidemic, South Korea controlled the spread of the epidemic well through rapid response, large-scale testing and precise epidemic control, and successfully defeated the first round of the epidemic. On this basis, South Korea formed a "Korean-style" epidemic prevention system system. South Korea's effective response measures in the early stages of the epidemic have also been praised by the international community and established a good national image. Because the epidemic situation in many countries was relatively serious at that time and they had too much time to take care of themselves, even though several rounds of epidemics occurred in South Korea later, it successfully overcome several large-scale epidemics due to the adoption of four-stage measures such as "3T measures" and flexible adjustment of social distance rules. We have been able to maintain a good anti-epidemic image. Foreign media and research institutions have also reported and analyzed South Korea's anti-epidemic measures, known as "K-epidemic", from various angles. The heads of international agencies such as the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Secretary-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) have also Call South Korea a model for epidemic prevention. In the 2020 United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN) comparison of the epidemic response effects of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, South Korea received the highest score. According to reports and reports on South Korea’s epidemic prevention by some international media and research institutions, most analyzes of South Korea’s “success factors” mentioned systems such as crisis management leadership, public health management laws and systems, and information and communication technology (ICT). ) infrastructure and citizen participation, etc. President Moon Jae-in summarized South Korea’s experience using the three principles of “openness, transparency, and democracy” in his speeches at the Group of Twenty (G20) and ASEAN “10 3” summits and the World Health Assembly.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea also explained using the words "TRUST", which means Transparency, Responsibility, United Action, Science and Speed, and Together in Solidarity. In addition, in a report written by Korean experts, from the perspective of epidemic prevention and control, South Korea’s experience in winning a better international reputation was summarized into the following four points: (1) Rectification of laws and systems related to the new coronavirus; (2) Having Leadership in national crisis management; (3) Cooperation between the government and private enterprises; (4) Citizen participation culture, and considering the governance system based on spontaneous citizen participation as the main reason for the success of "K-epidemic prevention" in the early stages of the epidemic , believes that "K-epidemic prevention" refers to a Korean-style response model that combines the crisis management and control capabilities of the Korean government to effectively contain the epidemic in the early stages of the epidemic, and the active assistance of civil society.

(2) Maintaining a low mortality rate for infected patients

Currently, the mortality rate of the global COVID-19 epidemic is 1.2, while South Korea’s mortality rate is only 0.13. According to the OECD It is at the lowest level among countries, with the United States at 1.2, the United Kingdom at 0.8, and Japan at 0.4. Although South Korea continues to adjust its prevention and control policies as the epidemic develops and changes, its policy of focusing on critical care treatment remains consistent throughout. When several rounds of epidemics occurred, the government emphasized the need to ensure critical illness beds and critical care treatment, and began orderly vaccinations early. According to data from South Korea's official COVID-19 website, as of May 7, 2022, the proportion of people in South Korea who have completed the first dose of vaccination has reached 87.8, the proportion of people who have completed the second dose is 86.8, and the proportion of people who have completed the third dose has reached 64.6; adolescents have received the second dose The vaccination rate also reached 80.6. As the new round of epidemics caused by Omicron has stabilized and declined, South Korea still regards the treatment of critically ill patients as the main goal of epidemic prevention and control. The utilization rate of the country's 2,501 critical illness beds is 20.4, and the mortality rate is also 20.4%. It fell to 1.49 from 4.19 in the first week of April. Currently, South Korea's COVID-19 prevention and treatment has shifted to daily prevention, but it still maintains protection plans for the elderly and high-risk groups, continues to expand external diagnosis and treatment centers to 6,305 (as of April 20), and promotes the third phase of prevention and treatment for people over 60 years old. Four vaccinations.

(3) The South Korean government’s response policies and measures are in line with its national conditions

Except for the first round of the epidemic outbreak caused by the gathering activities of the "Xintianji" church in February 2020, South Korea imposed restrictions on Daegu and other Apart from certain control measures in some areas, no comprehensive city blockade or other measures have been adopted in other areas. For overseas arrivals and infected patients, testing and control are mainly carried out in the form of home isolation and health management, and a website has been set up to publish relevant data, policies, news and other information about the new coronavirus epidemic. In response to the heavy losses suffered by small businesses and individual merchants during the epidemic, South Korea has introduced a series of support policies and increased budgets multiple times in an attempt to minimize the negative impact of the new crown epidemic on the real economy.