The government is discussing downgrading the infectious disease level of COVID-19, currently classified as a Class One disease, to Class Two.

In a Friday briefing, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said that talks are underway on easing the classification to Class Two on the premise that, compared to delta, omicron is less severe and many patients show only mild symptoms.

Under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, infectious diseases are grouped into four categories ranging from Class One to Four depending on their fatality and transmission rates.

Class One diseases are highly fatal or contagious, posing risks of mass infection. Patients contracting a Class One disease must be reported to authorities immediately and isolated in a negative pressure hospital room.

Officials in the government and some medical experts have pointed out that with hundreds of thousands of cases reported daily, it is difficult to appropriately respond to the omicron wave according to its current highest classification.

Senior health official Park Hyang said extensive talks will be held to adjust the infectious disease level of the virus to Class Two and establish a system that normalizes the treatment of virus patients in general hospital wards.

If COVID-19 is downgraded to Class Two, treatment expenses, currently fully shouldered by the state, will instead be covered by health insurance, resulting in some out-of-pocket expenses for patients.