Minister Park Neung-hoo: "The Next Ten Days Are a Crucial Turning Point"

Government Establishes New Isolation Guidelines
All Contacts to Self-Quarantine for 14 Days

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo is talking with Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo ahead of the expanded response meeting for the novel coronavirus infection held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Park Neung-hoo, Minister of Health and Welfare, stated regarding the response to the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), "I believe that the next week to ten days will be a crucial turning point." Along with this, he announced additional measures such as requiring daily contacts to self-isolate for 14 days.

Park, who is the head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for the novel coronavirus, made these remarks during a meeting he presided over at the Government Complex Sejong on the 3rd, adding, "It is time for each ministry to do their best and take swift actions for rapid implementation."

The government will establish new quarantine standards to manage contacts of confirmed cases. The day before, the government decided to eliminate the distinction between close and daily contacts and to require all contacts to self-isolate for 14 days for the time being. Procedures to secure budgets for living support expenses and paid leave costs for contacts entering self-isolation will begin. If individuals do not cooperate with quarantine, they will face criminal charges and fines of up to 3 million won.

Additionally, for Chinese entrants who previously could only be tested if diagnosed with pneumonia within 14 days, the government will expand the scope of symptomatic individuals subject to investigation under case definitions to include those with symptoms such as fever and cough. Minister Park stated, "Going forward, the government plans to integrate daily situation review meetings and Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meetings to make faster and more responsible decisions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.