The infectious disease level of COVID-19 will be downgraded to the lowest Class Four next week.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on Wednesday, COVID-19 will be lowered to the same level as the influenza virus amid a slowdown in its transmission and a significant drop in the fatality rate.

Following the adjustment, state support for testing and inpatient treatment will be terminated, and payouts for living costs and paid vacation expenses for those eligible will also end.

Partial support for rapid antigen tests will continue for high-risk groups, such as seniors aged 60 or older, while testing facilities will remain to provide free PCR tests for such groups and those in facilities at high risk of infection.

The government will also continue to offer vaccination and treatment support for those groups.

As of mid-July, the COVID-19 fatality rate was between zero-point-02 and zero-point-04 percent, similar to that of the flu, which is around zero-point-03 to zero-point-07 percent.

During the third week of August, the nation documented a daily average of 41-thousand-698 cases, down 16-point-four percent from a week earlier.