United Future Party: "Wuhan Pneumonia Spreading in Communities... National Power Must Focus on Proactive Response"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The United Future Party emphasized that with the community transmission of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) having begun, national efforts must be concentrated on proactive measures.

Lee Chang-soo, spokesperson for the United Future Party, stated in a commentary on the 19th, "Community transmission of the Wuhan pneumonia cannot be prevented with delayed responses and complacent attitudes."

He said, "The number of confirmed Wuhan pneumonia cases increased by 15 overnight, causing public fear and anxiety to grow more than ever. Above all, the emergence of so-called 'community infections' without epidemiological links is concerning. Confirmed cases are appearing among people who have neither traveled abroad nor had contact with infected individuals, increasing the possibility of spread to an unspecified large number of people," he warned.

Spokesperson Lee pointed out, "If the inflow of infection sources from China is not fundamentally blocked, this was an inevitable event that would happen sooner or later. However, the government, by being overly cautious of China and wavering, has exacerbated the situation. Calls for strong and proactive measures such as expanding entry bans were ignored or dismissed."

He criticized, "President Moon, on the 13th, deceived the public with baseless optimism that 'it will end soon,' but the Minister of Health and Welfare, Park Neung-hoo, who is in charge of the relevant department, appeared before the National Assembly yesterday and said it was 'premature to talk about an end,' creating a farce by retracting the president's remarks. Since the 29th patient appeared, concerns about community transmission have been raised, but the government is still delaying judgment."

Spokesperson Lee said, "President Moon said at yesterday's Cabinet meeting that 'excessive fear and anxiety make the economy more difficult,' but I want to ask whether it is appropriate to call the public's fear and anxiety excessive in this situation," adding, "It is time to concentrate national efforts on proactive and strong measures to prevent community transmission."

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