On May 17, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced that the principles for separately admitting and treating mild and severe COVID-19 cases have been changed, effective from today, in order to ensure confirmed cases can receive necessary care. Adjusted criteria are listed below.

A. Hospitals: infected individuals who have moderate or severe symptoms, who are less than three months old and have a fever, or who have other diseases and are assessed to require hospitalization for treatment by a doctor will be admitted to the hospital.

B. Enhanced government quarantine facilities/quarantine hotels: asymptomatic/mild cases who are 70 years of age and older, who aged 65-69 and live alone, who are 36 weeks pregnant or more, who are 3-12 months old and have a fever over 39ºC, or who don't require hospitalization and don't meet home care criteria are all admitted to enhanced government quarantine facilities/quarantine hotels.

C. Home care: individuals with no/mild symptoms who are under 69 years of age and meet home care criteria may stay at home to receive care. Confirmed cases with no or mild symptoms who don't meet home care criteria can be allowed to receive care at home if confirmed cases themselves or their legal representatives request home care and after medical professionals' assessments.

D. A special access channel at enhanced government quarantine facilities/quarantine hotels: to address the need for urgent medical care of high-risk confirmed cases (e.g., women 36 weeks pregnant or more and infants 3-12 months old with a fever over 39ºC), a special access channel has been established at enhanced government quarantine facilities/quarantine hotels to provide care in an emergency childbirth situation, for children, or other situations and to ensure patients' safety.

E. Principles for discharge and home care: patients can be discharged from the hospital if they have been assessed by doctors to not require hospitalization and have met the criteria for being released from isolation. Patients not meeting the criteria for being released from isolation will be sent back home to receive home care until the end of the isolation period if the health criteria provided in the Guidelines for Home Care Management of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases are met; such patients will be sent to enhanced government quarantine facilities/quarantine hotels if those health criteria are not met. Administrative forms, such as the Notice for Isolation Treatment Release (COVID-19) and Notice for Designated Residence Isolation and Right to Petition for Habeas Corpus Relief (COVID-19), needed by a confirmed case will be issued after the hospital notifies the local health department of release from isolation.