Prime Minister Jeong: "Masks to be Supplied First to Needed Areas... Public Officials Encouraged to Wear Cloth Masks" (Comprehensive)

"Secured Hospital Beds and Residential Treatment Centers Must Be Organically Linked"
Ministry of the Interior and Safety Orders Text Message Guidance on 'How to Purchase Masks'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 8th, "Except for medical personnel and other essential cases, we will refrain from using medical masks and actively recommend wearing cloth masks."

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting held at Daegu City Hall that afternoon, Prime Minister Chung stated, "To prioritize the supply of masks to medical personnel and other essential places, consideration, concession, and cooperation are absolutely necessary."

He also emphasized the importance of efficiently utilizing secured hospital beds and residential treatment centers by organically linking them.

He mentioned, "Patients should be quickly classified and managed according to underlying diseases and symptoms."

He added, "Severe patients or high-risk groups who are likely to worsen should be given priority to receive intensive care in negative pressure rooms, and mild patients should be managed mainly in residential treatment centers but should be immediately transferred to hospital beds if symptoms appear."

He continued, "It is also necessary to accurately grasp the real-time status of patients, hospital beds, and residential treatment centers, and to expand the treatment system in advance in preparation for an increase in severe patients," emphasizing, "The third week will focus on this."

Regarding the implementation of the five-day mask distribution system, Prime Minister Chung requested, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety should guide the public on how to purchase masks through text messages," and urged, "Please mobilize frontline administrative forces to frequently check for any inconveniences at the site."

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