The Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety said they would "actively accept" the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit results on the COVID-19 response. They said they would correct the confusion and shortcomings revealed in crisis communication, quarantine measures, and the vaccine introduction process to prepare for the next novel infectious disease.
On the 23rd, the three agencies said they would "promptly address the pointed-out issues" in connection with the Board of Audit and Inspection's released performance audit results, "Diagnosis and analysis of the COVID-19 response." This audit reviewed five areas: ▲ the COVID-19 response system ▲ quarantine response ▲ medical response ▲ social response ▲ vaccines.
The government has been pursuing a reorganization of the infectious disease response and preparedness system since the end of the COVID-19 crisis, and said it would reflect the audit's pointed-out issues in the "plan to upgrade the infectious disease crisis management system," which is currently being formulated.
The Board of Audit and Inspection pointed out that in crisis communication, quarantine measures, and the vaccine introduction process, the roles among ministries and the collaboration framework were not clear, causing confusion on the ground.
The disease agency plans to establish a "public health and social response manual" in the first half of the year to reduce misalignment between quarantine authorities and local governments. To this end, in July last year it set up a digital and crisis communication task force (TF) with the Welfare Ministry and the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety.
Regarding vaccine introduction, it explained that in January this year it established a pan-government response system by enacting the "regulation on the establishment and operation of the pan-government consultative body for vaccine introduction" (prime ministerial directive).
The audit also raised the need to expand quarantine and medical infrastructure, such as linking quarantine and epidemiological investigation information, training specialized personnel, and building specialized infectious disease hospitals.
The disease agency is pushing to improve the integrated quarantine information system to strengthen cooperation among public health centers, aiming for the third quarter. It is also reviewing incentive support measures. Last year, it revised relevant regulations to train and secure epidemiological investigators, and revised the "quarantine work guidelines" to strengthen management of contacts on aircraft.
For regional specialized infectious disease hospitals, it said it would speed up construction by securing suitable sites and through total project cost management.
There was also a call for clear standards for social distancing and cohort isolation (group isolation).
The disease agency is pushing to revise the enforcement decree of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act to establish a legal basis. Earlier, to prevent cohort isolation measures from being applied excessively, it revised the "guidelines for responding to class 1 infectious diseases" and informed local governments.
The disease agency also plans to establish standards for social distancing based on scientific evidence and enact a "public health and social response manual" in the first half of the year.
It will also overhaul step-by-step safety management systems such as vaccination and post-management. The disease agency completed a research project that specifies reporting and investigation procedures when vaccine quality abnormalities are detected and is now arranging follow-up procedures. It also said it has supplemented related guidelines and systems for managing misinoculations.
In the first half of the year, the disease agency will prepare a manual requiring vaccinations to proceed only after confirming the results of the national lot release approval. The Ministery of Food and Drug Safety plans by May to establish a quality verification system and legal basis for vaccines approved for emergency use.
By May, the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety also plans to prepare procedures that specify criteria such as the designation of medical devices for public health emergency response and measures to improve distribution.
Last year, to improve the fairness of public mask distribution, it discussed setting criteria such as designating public sales channels and setting distribution prices, and it plans to prepare detailed measures, such as criteria for lifting distribution improvement measures, through consultations with relevant ministries in the future.
Minister Jung Eun-kyeong of the Welfare Ministry said, "With the people's full cooperation and support, we were able to overcome COVID-19 and return to daily life," adding, "We will improve the Board of Audit and Inspection's pointed-out issues in cooperation with relevant ministries."
Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Im Seung-kwan said, "This audit served as an opportunity to objectively inspect the COVID-19 response system," and added, "We will upgrade the crisis management system by reflecting the pointed-out issues and minimize social and economic damage when a novel infectious disease occurs in the future."
Oh Yu-Kyoung, head of the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety, said, "We will systematically supplement the measures implemented during the unprecedented pandemic response process to strengthen our capacity to respond to future infectious disease crises."