On the afternoon of the 4th, immigrants are receiving guidance from quarantine officials at the arrivals hall at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1. The quarantine authorities officially mentioned the possibility of a fourth pandemic from March to April caused by the mutant virus. News 1
As the threat of the COVID-19 mutant virus becomes visible, the quarantine authorities are deepening their pains. In many countries, the spread of mutant viruses has become a’predominant species’, but in Korea, resistance to high-intensity quarantine measures is increasing. Even the vaccination, which is the only hope that can end the situation, is not as fast as expected, and the quarantine authorities are at the beginning of an amnesty.
Mutant virus coming from 18 countries
According to the Central Defense Response Headquarters (Bang Daebon), the number of new corona 19 confirmed cases in Korea as of 0 o’clock on the 7th was 372, and 300 people were maintained for three consecutive days. Compared to the peak of the third epidemic, which recorded around 1,000 people, the number of new confirmed cases has entered a complete calming phase, but the number of new confirmed cases has not decreased sharply.
The problem is that cases of foreign mutant virus infections, which are more powerful than existing viruses, are rapidly increasing. The day before, Bang Dae-bon announced that it had confirmed 12 additional domestically infected mutant viruses. There were 10 cases from the UK and 2 cases from South Africa, with 51 confirmed cases of the domestic cumulative mutant virus.
In particular, 18 countries are estimated to have introduced mutant viruses. As such, mutant viruses are spreading all over the world, so it is difficult to prevent further influx of mutant viruses in Korea unless the border is closed at all. In the case of the British and South African mutations, it is known that the propagation power is 1.5 times higher, and there is great concern that it could be another spark of re-proliferation.
Sohn Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division, Central Accident Control Headquarters, said at a regular briefing held that day, “the mutant virus is spreading more and more rapidly abroad, and it is being seen that it is becoming a dominant species.” It will be expanded even further to those arriving from the country.”
High-strength quarantine measures for three months…
The government’s response cards to prevent the spread of the mutant virus are largely’maintaining high-intensity quarantine’ and’speeding up vaccination’. But in both cases, things are turning around. The metropolitan area continues to apply intensive quarantine regulations, such as banning private gatherings with more than 5 people and social distancing at step 2.5, but it is not easy to carry it out until after the Lunar New Year holidays.
Eventually, the previous day, the government announced the easing of some quarantine measures, including maintaining the operating restrictions for multi-use facilities in the metropolitan area after 9:00 pm, but extending one hour to 10 pm in non-capital areas. It took a step back from the position that if the night-time business was allowed, private gatherings including alcohol would increase, which could increase the spread of Corona 19.
However, the backlash is rising, centering on self-employed people in the metropolitan area excluded from this easing measure. From midnight on this day, some self-employed and small business owners in related industries that oppose the government’s measures to maintain business restrictions after 9 p.m. in the metropolitan area, such as restaurants, PC cafes, cafes, and coin karaoke rooms, are scheduled to protest against quarantine. They plan to continue the’lit-up demonstration’ for three days, where the store lights up after 9 o’clock, and if there is no change in the quarantine authorities after 9 o’clock, it is planned to decide whether or not to’dispute business’ after 9 o’clock.
When is the first vaccination?
There has also been an emergency on the goal of forming collective immunity through the COVID-19 vaccine. The government aims to form a collective immunity by November at the latest by completing the first vaccination of 70% of the people by September. However, it is pointed out that the inoculation rate must be higher for the formation of collective immunity when the mutant virus with high transmission power is spread.
In order to increase the vaccination rate, more vaccinations must be given sooner, but the date of the first vaccination has not yet been confirmed. The government has announced that it will start vaccination from’mid-February’, but the specific supply schedule for Pfizer vaccines coming through’Cobox Facility’, a global vaccine joint purchase organization, is still undecided. An official from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, “Cobox’s decision-making system is complex and slow.” The AstraZeneca vaccine, which is scheduled to begin inoculation in February along with the Pfizer vaccine, continues to be controversial, including the question of its effectiveness against the mutant virus following the elderly.
Eun-mi Cheon, a professor of respiratory medicine at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, said, “It is important whether the spread can be reduced to about 100 new confirmed patients a day after the Lunar New Year holiday.” The risk of spread will increase,” he predicted.
Yu Hwan-gu reporter [email protected]
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