Korean health officials said Monday the evolving coronavirus situation at home and abroad may force some changes to the country’s disease control responses to keep the system sustainable in the long run, likening the battle to a “marathon” as opposed to a “sprint.”

Korea reported 25 more cases of the novel coronavirus disease, with one related death in the last 24 hours ending Sunday midnight, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s database. The nationwide total of coronavirus cases now stands at 14,175 with 299 deaths. Of the newly confirmed cases, nine were locally transmitted and 16 imported.

Below are some of the changes expected to be introduced.


‘Zero cost policy’ may be amended amid mounting COVID-19 bills

Foreign patients with COVID-19 might need to start paying their medical bills, health officials said in a regular coronavirus briefing Monday, forewarning a possible change in the existing policy that ensures patients of all nationalities are charged nothing from diagnosis to recovery.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in the meeting with health officials Monday morning that updates to the law may soon start charging foreigners “at least a part of the medical bills” to cope with the strains placed on the state health insurance system from the prolonging pandemic.

“Most imported cases confirmed between March and April were returning Koreans. But a recent spike in cases among foreign nationals has highlighted the need for revisions in the policy,” said Yoon Tae-ho, director general for public policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, adding that at the current rate the national health care budget “may not be able to withstand the mounting costs.”

Jung Eun-kyeong, chief of the disease control agency, said the cumulative medical expenses for all foreign patients covered by the government so far could not yet be disclosed.

“But the quarantine costs appear to outweigh those needed for treatment, overall,” she said.

The government provides to all passengers hotels and other lodgings attended by medical professionals and administrative staffers for the mandatory two-week quarantine upon arrival. Food and other supplies are provided as well.


Borders tightened to keep out imported infections

Korea’s open border policy has undergone necessary modifications amid an ever-growing pandemic. The global coronavirus caseload surpassed 15.7 million as of Sunday, according to the World Health Organization’s situation report. Health officials here say imported cases make up over half of all cases found in Korea in the past month.

Additional controls are imposed by Korean authorities on travels to and from countries experiencing active COVID-19 outbreaks that are deemed to pose higher risks. Among the list are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

Starting Monday, passengers from the list of risky countries have to be tested twice within two weeks of their arrival, instead of the current requirement of just once. They are also asked to provide a coronavirus-negative certificate issued within 48 hours of their flight’s departure.

The extent of the regulations will be “reconsidered” regularly based on the evolving situation, health officials said, and that the measure is necessary to contain transmission across borders as cases abroad escalate.

Health officials said that the same restrictions apply to North Korean defectors, speaking about a man in his 20s who returned to the North last week. Contrary to the North’s claims, he has neither been infected nor come in contact with someone who has, officials added.

While the WHO initially advised against imposing travel restrictions to affected countries due to consequent socioeconomic tolls, the agency said that “in certain circumstances, measures that restrict the movement of people may prove temporarily useful,” as they may “allow countries to gain time” to shape responses.


Safety rules toughened in bid to end parties

Tougher rules will be introduced in time for summer holidays to make partying and gathering more difficult.

As patrons have seemingly moved past the shock of May’s Itaewon nightclub outbreak of over 200 cases, bars and nightclubs are beginning to fill with crowds once again. Recent complaints of physical distancing breaches say people are hanging out at party spots without wearing face masks or heeding safety protocols.

“Vacation hot spots as well as all nightlife establishments will be subject to expanded restrictions such as limits on the number of guests allowed per hour,” said Yoon of the Health Ministry. Since the infection cluster in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in central Seoul, the government has required places with high contagion risks to adopt a QR code-based registry beginning in June, in an effort to facilitate contact tracing.

Although locally transmitted cases have declined steadily over the last two weeks, recording single-digit figures some days, health officials have cautioned the official figures may be underestimating the actual toll despite the robust testing system.

According to a recent survey of antibody prevalence in Daegu, the initial epicenter of the country’s epidemic, 7.6 percent of 198 adults without a previous COVID-19 diagnosis were positive -- indicating they had been infected with the virus in the past. The study estimated that there may be as many as 27 times more cases in the city than what had been identified by authorities.

Citing a potential undercount, Yoon said the safest vacation this summer was at home. “Travel increases your chances of either getting or spreading the coronavirus. If you must travel, do it safely: Wear a mask, avoid crowds and practice hand hygiene,” he said.

By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)