On the afternoon of the 25th, when the number of new corona19 confirmed cases was the largest in history, medical staff are wearing protective clothing at a temporary screening clinic in Seoul Plaza. yunhap news
The spread of the third epidemic is getting stronger in recent weeks, with the daily average of more than 1,000 new corona19 confirmed cases. Although there is increasing pressure to raise the social distancing level to three, the government is still cautious. Whether or not to raise the 3rd stage will be decided at the meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the 27th. The Central Defense Response Headquarters (Bang Dae-bon) announced on the 25th that the number of new corona 19 confirmed cases was 1241, of which 1216 were in Korea. This is the first time that the number of new confirmed cases has risen to 1200. The daily average number of new confirmed cases (based on domestic occurrence) for one week (December 19-25) reached 1005.9. It has exceeded the upper limit of the three-step social distancing standard (800 to 1,000 people nationwide). In the metropolitan area, in addition to the group infection (514 people) related to the Seoul East Detention Center, confirmations were followed by call centers and nursing hospitals. In the non-metropolitan area, new infections continued through animal hospitals, grocery stores, restaurants, and acquaintances. After the first confirmed cases were confirmed on the 23rd, related to a food store and restaurant in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do, an additional 32 people were confirmed. Regardless of the epidemiologic relevance, 121 people were confirmed on the same day in the examination conducted at a temporary screening inspection center installed in the metropolitan area so that anyone could be tested.
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However, the government’s attitude does not give much significance to the outbreak of 1,200 new confirmed cases. At the main script briefing that day, Tae-ho Yoon, head of quarantine at the Central Accident Recovery Headquarters (heavy water version), said, “The biggest reason for the sudden increase in the number of confirmed cases is that 288 confirmed cases have appeared in the eastern detention center in Seoul.” It is maintained at the level of 900~1000 people,” he said. “Because the Seoul East Detention Center is already managed within the quarantine network, it is not spreading further to the local community,” he added. In the same vein, he said that the average number of confirmed cases in Korea per week exceeded 1,000, “it is likely to be a temporary phenomenon.” Steps 2.5 and 2 of social distancing currently applied in the metropolitan and non-capital areas, respectively, will end on the 28th. Accordingly, the government plans to decide what to do in the future distancing steps at the script meeting on the 27th. The government is first looking forward to the’special quarantine measures for the year-end and New Year’ that will be enforced until January 3rd. Sohn Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Division of Heavy Soo-bon, said, “How the effect of special quarantine measures during the year-end and New Year will be revealed (for the decision to raise the 3rd stage), and whether quarantine response capabilities and medical capabilities can (follow the trend of spreading) are important. He said, “Please help the people to refrain from contacting and meeting during the special quarantine measures so that the spread can be turned into a declining phase.” However, experts pointed out, “We must not postpone the upgrade to the third stage, which has already missed the period.” Professor Hong Yoon-cheol of Seoul National University College of Medicine (preventative medicine) said, “The stage to talk about in each case, such as the eastern detention center, has already passed, and group infections are scattered across the country.” . Eom Joong-sik, a professor at Gachon University’s Gil Hospital (infectious medicine department), pointed out, “It is difficult to reduce the overall epidemic with tinkering such as’tweezers quarantine,’ and the effect will inevitably appear more slowly as the three-step upgrade measures are delayed and implemented.”
By Choi Won-hyung, staff reporter [email protected]