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| ▲ A total of 100 employees were infected with Corona 19 at the Daedong Plastic Factory in the Jingwan Industrial Complex in Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do, and a total investigation is being conducted on 1,200 employees of the industrial complex at a temporary clinic installed near the factory on the afternoon of the 17th. Most of the employees of this factory are foreign workers of various nationalities and live in dormitories. | |
| Ⓒ Kwon Woo-seong |
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Asan Cricket Factory and Namyangju Jingwan Industrial Complex recorded 621 new confirmed cases on the 17th, raising concerns about whether or not it was at the outset of a’re-outbreak’. The number of confirmed patients on the 18th is also expected to be in the 500-600 range.
It is still unknown how large-scale movement during the Lunar New Year holidays will affect the trend, and the fact that business restrictions in the non-metropolitan area have been virtually lifted while social distancing has been eased since the 15th is a factor that instigates anxiety. As the public’s awareness has been relatively resolved, criticism has also been raised that the measures to ease distancing have been premature.
If the current situation enters a large-scale epidemic phase, it will inevitably cause confusion in not only the vaccination scheduled for the end of February, but also the school opening plan in March.
Increase the distance step? “Report on patient trends”
The government is in a position to look at the trend this week to see if the current increase is a’temporary phenomenon’ or a’recurrent’. If the number of confirmed cases continues to increase, it is expected to draw out a’distance increase card’.
Young-rae Son, head of the Strategic Planning Division of the Central Accident Recovery Headquarters (heavy water version), at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (middle script) Corona 19 briefing on the afternoon of the 17th, said, “If it continues to spread, we will consider reinforcing the measures we are taking now. “There is room for it,” he said, “the part that eased the 9pm operating time limit to 10pm, and the part such as the adjustment of the stage, which can be reviewed depending on the patient trend.”
Jung Soo-bon, director of heat dissipation, said that the current situation was estimated to have been affected by an increase in the number of inspections immediately after the Lunar New Year holiday and some measures to ease distancing before the Lunar New Year holiday. However, regarding the effect of the increase in the amount of movement during the Lunar New Year holidays, he drew a line saying, “It appears only after 5 days to 1 week.”
Regarding the possibility of the 4th pandemic, Mr. Yoon said, “In general, it is a story that the outbreak is likely to reappear in March-April as a whole considering that vaccination relieves quarantine tensions and increases national fatigue.” The script is also sharing the perception of that part, and we are preparing measures to minimize the curve of the trend even when a trend appears.”
“Government, down the stage of rattles… We need to prepare for a re-emergence”
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| ▲ Citizens are passing by in the business district of Chipyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, on the afternoon of the 15th, when social distancing was eased to 1.5 steps and business restrictions and bans were lifted. | |
| Ⓒ Yonhap News |
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Experts also say that if the number of confirmed cases goes up, the distance should be increased or readjusted. In the early days of the 3rd pandemic, the government delayed raising the distance and could not prevent the spread of the epidemic, while it is argued that a’quick response’ is needed as a teacher.
Jeong Ki-seok, a professor of respiratory internal medicine at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, said, “It may be a fall in shape for the government to lower and then raise the distance, but if there is a clear increase, it cannot be helped.” Professor Jeong said, “Even when the last step was taken down, it was not a decline in the metropolitan area, but it was a problem that it fell down,” he said. “If 700 to 800 people come out for two to three days, it will be difficult to maintain the distance step.” .
Jeong Jae-hoon, a professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine, Gachon University School of Medicine, said, “It is too early to decide the adjustment right now, and we have to watch it for a few days.” “We need to apply one distance method.”
Professor Jeong pointed out that “there is a need to change the paradigm of the whole quarantine,” he said. “It is necessary to decide whether to go to suppression as it is now or to tolerate the increase in confirmed cases and wait until vaccination.”
He added, “Once the government is foreshadowing’downward measures’ to distancing, I hope to collect the cause of death from that,” he said. “Although I am confident that the government is’ready’ for a re-emergence, it is not a trend of thousands. A bigger pandemic could come, so we should pay more attention to securing beds.”