Isolation of patients of quarantinable infectious disease
Isolation of patients of quarantinable infectious disease- The director of the quarantine station shall isolate a patient of a quarantinable infectious disease, etc. in any of the following facilities (main body of Articles 16 (1) and the Article 37 of the Quarantine Act and Article 7 (2) 3 of the Enforcement Decree of the Quarantine Act).
· Isolation facilities being managedby the quarantine station designated by the KDCA commissioner
· Infectious disease control agencies, places of isolation, sanatoriums, or clinics (Article 36 or 37 of the Infectious Disease Control And Prevention Act)
· At home
· Infectious diseases specialty hospitals (Article 8-2 of the Infectious Disease Control And Prevention Act)
· Facilities or places designated by the KDCA commissioner where there is no place of residence in Korea
- Provided, those patients, etc. may be excluded from isolation if the possibility of person-to-person transmission is low or in cases prescribed by the KDCA commissioner (proviso to Article 16 (1) of the Quarantine Act).
※ Violation of such isolation measures shall be punished by imprisonment with labor for not more than one year or a fine not exceeding KRW 10 million (Article 39 (1) 4 of the Quarantine Act).
※ Expenses incurred in isolation and monitoring: The State shall bear the expenses (Article 35 of the Quarantine Act).
Establishment and operation of temporary isolation facilities- Where isolation facilities or infectious disease control agencies are deficient because of the high occurrence of a patient of a quarantinable infectious disease, etc., the KDCA commissioner may install and operate temporary isolation facilities in the following facilities (Article 16 (2) of the Quarantine Act and Article 14 of the Enforcement Rules of the Quarantine Act).
· Facilities separated within the quarantine station
· Means of transport in which a patient of a quarantinable infectious disease, etc. has occurred
· Facilities designated in consultation with the heads of relevant administrative agencies within quarantine areas, such as international airports and international passenger terminals
· Facilities designated for the establishment of simple medical treatment facilities and isolation in consultation with the head of the relevant administrative agency, a Special Metropolitan City Mayor, Metropolitan City Mayor, Special Self-Governing City Mayor, Province Governor, Special Self-Governing Province Governor, or the head of a Si/Gun/Gu (referring to the head of an autonomous Gu)
Isolation period and notice- The isolation period of a patient of a quarantinable infectious disease, etc. shall be until the time such patient, etc. is completely free from infectivity and immediately removed after the quarantine period (Article 16 (4) of the Quarantine Act).
- Where the director of the quarantine station isolates a patient of a quarantinable infectious disease, etc., the director shall send a quarantine notice (possible to utilize information and communications devices) to the isolated person or his or her family member or guardian or a person designated by the isolated person (Article 16 (6) of the Quarantine Act, Articles 13 of the Enforcement Rules of the Quarantine Act, and Attached Form 16).
Prohibition from contact with any other person during the isolation period- Any person isolated during the period shall be prohibited from having contact with any other person without permission from the director of the quarantine station (Article 16 (5) of the Quarantine Act).
※ A person subject to isolation who has contact with any other person during the isolation period will be fined KRW 1 million (Article 41 (2) 4 of the Quarantine Act, Article 9 of the Enforcement Decree of the Quarantine Act, and the attached table).
- If an isolated person is trying to contact another person or another person is trying to contact an isolated person, he or she must submit an application for contact permission to the director of the quarantine station (Article 14-2 (1) of the Enforcement Rules of the Quarantine Act).
- Upon receipt of an application for contact permission, the director of the quarantine station shall, without delay, determine whether to grant permission considering the characteristics of the relevant quarantine infectious disease, the applicant’s condition, etc. and notify the applicant thereof (Article 14-2 (2) of the Enforcement Rules of the Quarantine Act).
Q. My friend who has traveled abroad in this COVID-19 pandemic has entered Korea and is on his 5th day of quarantine. Can I visit him to celebrate his birthday?
A. COVID-19 is a quarantinable infectious disease and requires a self-isolation period of 7 days for both Koreans and foreigners entering Korea, and a person isolated during this period cannot contact another person without obtaining permission from the director of quarantine. If you want to meet a friend who is self-isolated, you must submit an application for permission to the director of the quarantine station.
Prohibition on removing goods from isolation facility- No goods used or kept in an isolation facility and temporary isolation facility may be taken out therefrom without permission from the director of the quarantine station (Article 18 of the Quarantine Act).
- A person who takes out goods used or stored in an isolation facility or a temporary isolation facility without the permission of the director of the quarantine station shall be punished by a fine not exceeding KRW 5 million (Article 39 (2) 3 of the Quarantine Act).
Q. My fiancé, who I couldn’t meet because of COVID-19, will enter Korea for a short-term stay for a wedding and enter a temporary quarantine facility. Can I bring the carrier kept in the temporary isolation facility?
A. No goods used or kept in an isolation facility and temporary isolation facility may be taken out therefrom without permission from the director of the quarantine station.