The government has decided to extend the current seven-day quarantine requirement for COVID-19 patients for four more weeks.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced the decision on Friday during a government meeting on COVID-19 responses in Seoul.

In May, the government extended the quarantine mandate for four weeks until June 20 and decided to reassess the infection situation in four weeks.

The prime minister said experts determined that if the nation eases the quarantine requirement, it could advance the resurgence and increase the scale of damage.

Han said that the government will reassess the virus situation with experts every four weeks and consider adjusting the requirement if related data meet certain standards.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to fully allow in-person visits at nursing homes regardless of the vaccination status of visitors, while the requirement of PCR or rapid antigen testing before the visits will remain in place.