Kwon Deok-cheol, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), announces a talk to the public calling for cooperation in quarantine in the briefing room of the Seoul Government Complex on the afternoon of the 4th. yunhap news
As new coronavirus infections (Corona 19) in Korea became clear, with 500 new confirmed cases for five days in a row, the quarantine chief came forward and appealed for compliance with the quarantine rules, saying that the corona 19 ‘4th pandemic’ is showing signs of full swing. Announced a talk to the public.
Kwon Deok-cheol, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Chinese script) and the Minister of Health and Welfare, said in a talk to the public on the 4th, “The current situation is similar to that of the pandemic. I’m standing.” Minister Kwon also worried that “if the epidemic spreads again now, with an average of 500 patients occurring a day, the epidemic could grow to more than 1,000 people a day within a short period of time.”
Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun also said at a critical script meeting that day, “It is a very dangerous situation that can not slow down tension for a while,” and said, “If the spreading trend does not break this week, we may have to consider more intensive quarantine measures.”
Over 500 confirmed cases per day for a week
The quarantine chiefs expressed such intense concern because the number of patients has occurred since December last year, when the third coronavirus pandemic reached its peak. On this day, despite the holiday, the number of new corona 19 confirmed patients recorded 543, continuing to 500 for five consecutive days. The average number of confirmed cases per day for the last week (March 29 to April 4) reached 502. It is the strongest spread since it recorded 600 people for a while right after the Lunar New Year holiday in February.
The card that the government pulled out to prevent the spread of Corona 19 is the’zero tolerance principle’. Starting on the 5th, if all people who visit restaurants and cafes do not individually write access lists, if they violate basic quarantine rules, a fine of 3 million won to the business owner and less than 100,000 won to the users will be imposed.
Deputy General Manager Kwon said, “The reason why the restrictions on operating hours and the ban on groupings were released is because they believed in voluntary efforts to strictly observe the quarantine rules. If you look at the quarantine rule violations appear,” he warned that “the violating business will be subjected to severe punishment according to the zero tolerance principle.”
The government also said it would take measures equivalent to raising the distance from businesses that continue to have problems. Deputy General Manager Kwon said, “If a number of violations of the quarantine rules occur, we will also implement measures to prohibit collective bans or strengthen operational restrictions in the relevant industry.”
The number of confirmed cases is already distanced 2.5 steps
In response to the government’s response, it is said that it is a’convenient measure’ that emerged from a situation where it is difficult to raise social distancing among experts. This is because the number of confirmed cases has already reached the standard of 2.5 steps for distancing from a few weeks ago, but it is not easy to raise the steps for distancing in consideration of the socio-economic impact.
Eun-mi Cheon, a professor of respiratory medicine at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, said, “Although the spread rate is increasing, the fact that hospital beds and medical staff are ready compared to the beginning of the third epidemic is a positive factor.” “There are many group infections and asymptomatic infections in multi-use facilities. Considering this, it is important for the government to designate meticulous quarantine rules for each facility, and to find asymptomatic infections by themselves using a home diagnostic kit,” he advised.
However, as the mutant Corona 19 virus is spreading in some regions, there is also a strong prospect that if the size of the outbreak of patients grows larger, an increase in the distancing step will be inevitable. The government has extended the distancing phase (Section 2 in the metropolitan area and 1.5 stages in the non-metropolitan area) and the ban on private gatherings of more than 5 people nationwide until the 11th. Sohn Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division, Central Accident Control Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, “We will observe the spread of this week and decide how to adjust the distancing stage and announce it.”
Yu Hwan-gu reporter [email protected]
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