[Q&A] "COVID-19 Spread Decreasing? Still Difficult to Expect Improvement"

Kim Kang-lip, the 1st Chief Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Vice Minister of Health and Welfare), is holding a regular briefing on the results of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting for COVID-19 response on the morning of the 9th at the Government Sejong Complex in Sejong City. Source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] On the 9th, the number of additional confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) decreased to the 200s for the first time in 12 days, but the government stated that "it is still difficult to predict improvement."

Kim Kang-lip, the 1st Chief Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) for COVID-19, said at a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the same day, "It is true that the spread of COVID-19 is somewhat calming down, but many new patients are still occurring in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions and in enclosed indoor spaces."

Kim, the 1st Chief Coordinator, emphasized, "Outside of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, there is no rapid spread trend, but sporadic infection cases continue to occur," adding, "This is a serious situation where we cannot afford to let our guard down even for a moment." He further added, "From now on, it is time to focus all capabilities to make the COVID-19 infection decrease more clearly."

◇Below is a Q&A with Chief Coordinator Kim regarding the spread of COVID-19

- The number of additional confirmed cases dropped to the 200s today.

▲ On Saturday, the 7th, it rained, which may have reduced specimen collection. Considering various variables such as weather, it is still difficult to make a premature judgment. We will closely monitor the trend of patients.

- Cases with unidentified infection sources are occurring outside the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions.

▲ It is not easy to perfectly find epidemiological links in the early stages. Since it is difficult to block transmission from infection to symptom onset, we believe there should be awareness of this issue and a more serious response.

- Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo said the day before that "the quarantine system for COVID-19 has finally been fully and properly established." Is it not yet the right time to say "fully and properly"?

▲ Two weeks ago, when we seriously evaluated the situation in Daegu, we said, "We will conduct large-scale diagnosis and stabilization measures over the next two weeks." Minister Park seems to have meant that the situation in Daegu is within a controllable range, considering that a certain amount of diagnosis has been conducted after two weeks, the treatment system has been reorganized to reduce waiting patients, and the number of confirmed cases is increasing while the number of released isolations continues to rise.

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