Prime Minister Jeong: "Super Spread in 수도권 Could Continue... Focus on Preventing Cluster Infections"

Presiding over Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting, Visiting Guro Call Center in the Afternoon, Then Heading to Daegu

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is delivering opening remarks at the 'Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters Meeting for COVID-19 Response' held on the 12th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 12th, "In the Seoul metropolitan area, where half of the total population is concentrated, there is a risk of a 'super spreader' event, so we must focus our quarantine capabilities on preventing group infections and blocking the spread of cases that have already occurred."

On the same day, Prime Minister Chung held a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) for COVID-19 response at the Government Seoul Office and stated, "Patients with unknown infection routes continue to appear, and group infections are increasing."

Referring to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a global pandemic of COVID-19 early that morning, Prime Minister Chung reiterated the importance of quarantine measures. This is the third time WHO has declared a pandemic, following the 1968 Hong Kong flu and the 2009 H1N1 influenza.

Prime Minister Chung said, "It is necessary for the central government, local governments, and the medical community to unite and respond quickly and decisively," adding, "With this focus, we will intensively inspect the quarantine situation in the central region, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Gangwon."

He continued, "After finishing the meeting in Seoul today, I plan to head back to Daegu. There are still matters to attend to," explaining, "We will re-examine and supplement whether facilities are sufficient, whether the treatment system is organically linked and operated, and most importantly, whether the demands of the medical staff fighting on the front lines are being addressed and resources allocated accordingly."

He also added, "We will support vulnerable groups who need care, such as elderly people living alone, and small business owners who have suffered significant damage to their livelihoods so that they can restore their daily lives."

Prime Minister Chung went down to Daegu on the 25th of last month, where the COVID-19 outbreak was prominent, to direct government responses such as securing hospital beds, and returned to Seoul on the 9th to attend the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Committee's comprehensive policy inquiry. On the morning of the day, he attended the CDSCH meeting and an expert briefing, and in the afternoon, he visited the Korea Building call center in Guro-gu, Seoul, where a group infection occurred, before heading back to Daegu.

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