From September 3, people entering South Korea from overseas will not be required to submit a negative COVID-19 (PCR) test result certificate. However, they will still have to get a PCR test within 24 hours after entering the country. The new improved vaccine, which is more effective against the recently spreading BA.5 variant, will be introduced in the country in the fourth quarter.

In a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on August 31, Lee Ki-il (second vice minister of health and welfare), first general coordinator of the Headquarters said, “From midnight September 3, all Korean nationals and foreigners on board flights and ships arriving in South Korea will not be required to submit a negative Covid (PCR) test result certificate.” However, the government will maintain the mandatory PCR test within a day after entering the nation to prevent the transmission of variants from overseas.

The bivalent vaccine, which is effective against omicron subvariants like BA.5, will be introduced in the fourth quarter this year. They will be administered to people in high-risk groups first, but they will be available to adults ages 18 and older who have received two or more vaccine shots.

People can make reservations for the SKYCovione vaccine, developed by the South Korean company SK Bioscience, starting September 1. From September 5, people will be able to receive the vaccine on the day they visit the clinic. The reserved vaccines will be administered beginning September 13. Lee explained, “The SKYCovione vaccine produced 2.9 times more neutralizing antibodies compared with existing vaccines, and most allergic reactions were insignificant,” and said, “We recommend those ages 18 and older who have not been vaccinated to get the domestic vaccine.”

This day, the government announced its disease control measures and medical responses for the Chuseok holiday. Since this Chuseok will be the first holiday without any social distancing measures in place, there will be no restrictions in the number of people attending gatherings or sharing meals indoors. People can freely visit family members without any restriction in the size of the gathering, and they will also be able to eat meals inside rest areas and on buses and trains. All vehicles using expressways throughout the nation will be exempt from tolls during the four-day holiday.

However, face-to-face visitations will be banned in care facilities and hospitals where there are many people in the high-risk group (60 years and older). The government will prepare additional temporary screening clinics in nine rest areas along expressways in Gyeonggi, Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeollanam-do and make free PCR tests available here to anyone during the holiday period.

Lee said, “Wearing masks and disinfecting your hands is essential in crowded trains, buses and passenger terminals,” and added, “We advise you to get vaccinated before you visit your hometown if you can and make your stay as short as possible.”