Prime Minister Jeong Se-gyun (center) walks out with Kwon Deok-cheol (left), Minister of Health and Welfare, and Jeon Jeon-cheol, Minister of Public Administration and Security after completing AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccination at the Jongno-gu Health Center in Seoul on the 26th. yunhap news
There is a growing voice that “the quarantine authorities have fallen into a dilemma” over social distancing to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) and the ban on private gatherings for more than 5 people once more. Because the number of confirmed cases is not decreasing, the level cannot be lowered, and it is difficult to tighten the reinforcement of quarantine further because of awareness of elections. While the quarantine authorities did not do this or that, changing only detailed quarantine rules, the standard for the distance-taking step became virtually meaningless and it became difficult to avoid criticism that it only raised the people’s fatigue.
There were more than 400 confirmed cases per day… the government “a lot of opposition to raising the distance”
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters held a general meeting at the government office on the 26th and announced that the current social distancing (Seoul Metropolitan Area Phase 2, Non-Metropolitan Area Phase 1.5) would be extended by two weeks from the 29th to the 11th of the following month. As a result, the steps to keep the same distance for about two months since the 15th of last month have been followed. The ban on private gatherings with more than 5 people continues for four months in the case of the metropolitan area.
In fact, looking only at the number of confirmed cases, it is necessary to raise the level again. This is because the number of confirmed cases in Korea, which is a key indicator of the adjustment of the distance, is about 414 per day on average per week, in the range of 2.5 stages (over 400 to 500 nationwide, etc.). In particular, the number of new confirmed cases as of 0 o’clock on this day was 494, the highest in 35 days since the 19th of last month (561).
Despite the increase in the number of confirmed cases, the government is in a position that there were more opinions not to raise the level of distancing. Sohn Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division, Central Accident Control Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said at a briefing on the day, “If the distance level is increased, regulations on the operation of multi-use facilities are strengthened. The opinion that it was not appropriate to raise the level of distancing at the meetings of the relevant central ministries, local governments and the Life Prevention Committee was predominant,” he said.
“Step-based meaningless… Changes only the detailed rules from time to time, confusion”
The decision experts expected is a reaction. Jeong Ki-seok, a professor of respiratory internal medicine at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, said, “It is correct to raise it in numbers, but it would have been difficult to raise or lower the stage due to the variable of elections.” Choi Won-seok, a professor of infectious medicine at Korea University Ansan Hospital, said, “The government’s policy direction is to release regulations as much as possible, taking into account the difficulties of self-employed people, but it seems that the number of confirmed cases is not decreasing and there is a risk of a 4th pandemic, so it seems that it has decided to maintain the current state.” Analyzed.
However, some point out that the bigger problem is that the step of distancing itself has become meaningless. A university professor who requested anonymity said, “From the beginning of the 3rd pandemic spread, the government ignored the standards for adjusting the distance level it created and continued to come up with complex compromises such as’Step 2 + α’, so it was based on political judgment, not science. It gave me the recognition that the quarantine policy was decided,” he said. “Now, there are few citizens who are familiar with the exact quarantine rules, and there will be no great interest in raising or lowering the level.”
On this day, the quarantine authorities did not raise the level of distancing according to the standard, but revised detailed regulations, such as increasing the quarantine rules that must always be followed regardless of distance from the existing four to seven. Prof. Ki-Seok Jeong said, “We continue to make regulations in our lives while keeping the big frame intact, but we are not strengthening the crackdown when the regulations are violated,” he said. “It will only increase confusion, but it will be difficult to expect a big effect.”
In the end, it is predicted that it will be difficult to reverse the situation even with the reorganization of the distancing system that the government is preparing. Prof. Won-seok Choi said, “If the reorganization plan is applied, more confirmed cases than the current standard will be required to raise the stage. However, considering the effect of weakening alertness according to vaccination, it could be a reason for the rapid increase in the number of patients.”
Yu Hwan-gu reporter [email protected]
News directly edited by the Hankook Ilbo can also be viewed on Naver.
