Lee Jae-myung Proposes Three Major Policies to Overcome COVID-19: 'Disaster Income, Fear Overcoming, Close Contact Usage Restrictions'

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, proposed three major quarantine policies?health, economy, and psychology?to prepare for the prolonged battle against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 18th, at an emergency COVID-19 press conference held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office, Governor Lee announced that to prevent cluster infections, he would implement three major quarantine policies: health quarantine including administrative orders restricting close contact use of PC rooms, karaoke rooms, and club-type establishments; economic quarantine focusing on disaster basic income; and psychological quarantine to overcome excessive anxiety and fear.

Governor Lee explained the background of the proposal, saying, "The fight against COVID-19 is not a short-term tournament but a long-term league. From today, Gyeonggi Province will prepare to coexist with COVID-19. The economy is facing an unprecedented serious crisis. In addition to health quarantine, it is now time to also take care of the collapsing economy."

As part of health quarantine, he issued administrative orders restricting close contact use targeting three major industries judged to have a high risk of infection: PC rooms, karaoke rooms, and club-type establishments.

Accordingly, these multi-use facilities must comply with seven rules: ▲appointing an infection control officer ▲all users and workers must wear masks ▲prohibiting entry of symptomatic individuals with fever, sore throat, cough, etc. (workers must be checked twice daily) ▲preparing and managing user logs (name, contact information, entry time, etc.) ▲hand sanitization for all entrants ▲making efforts to maintain maximum distance between users ▲regular ventilation and disinfection and cleaning once before and after business hours.

Violations will result in ▲prosecution under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act (fines up to 3 million KRW) ▲complete ban on customer gathering business operations for violating companies ▲and claims for all related quarantine costs such as investigation, testing, and treatment if confirmed cases occur due to violations. Under the current Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, the Minister of Health and Welfare or the mayor/provincial governor can restrict or prohibit gatherings or assemblies of multiple people to prevent infectious diseases.

This administrative order takes effect immediately and will continue until April 6, when schools reopen. The province will grant a six-day guidance period until the 23rd and then begin strict enforcement. The province plans to swiftly implement all available policies, including crisis support, financial aid, loan extensions, provision of public jobs, and support for small businesses and self-employed individuals.

As an economic quarantine policy, Governor Lee once again requested the central government and political circles to provide disaster basic income of 1 million KRW per citizen.

Global economic scholars, including Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, have expressed that direct support measures such as cash payments are more helpful for economic revitalization than indirect policies like tax cuts. In fact, recently, Hong Kong paid 1.55 million KRW to 7 million permanent residents aged 18 and over, and the United States decided to provide $1,000 cash payments per person.

Governor Lee emphasized, "Now that the economy is coming to a halt, cash payment policies like those in the U.S. and Hong Kong, i.e., disaster basic income, are not welfare policies that selectively benefit the poor, but quarantine policies that reduce infection risks arising from unavoidable livelihood activities, and emergency economic policies that revive and circulate the dying economy. It should be paid through regional currency or vouchers with a set usage period to ease the burden on self-employed and small business owners and revitalize the local economy."

He also publicly proposed a final debate on basic income.

Governor Lee stated, "In the era of low growth, the 4th Industrial Revolution era where jobs, consumption, and disposable income relatively decrease, I publicly propose a final debate on basic income, an unavoidable economic policy for sustainable economic growth, regardless of timing or method, to dispel misunderstandings and prejudices and raise public understanding."

Additionally, he announced plans to prepare and implement psychological quarantine policies with experts such as sociologists and psychologists to overcome excessive anxiety and fear caused by COVID-19 and to enable a rapid recovery of daily life within a bearable range.

Governor Lee explained, "This does not mean COVID-19 is not dangerous, but that with wise responses, it can be overcome. Even now, numerous researchers are devoting all their efforts to developing vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, so vaccines and treatments will be developed soon. Therefore, we must minimize infections and damage by adhering to preventive measures and advanced quarantine, buying time."

He further added, "Please accept these inevitable measures to avoid greater sacrifices and more suffering for many. We will seek special compensation plans corresponding to those who make special sacrifices for everyone. We will do our best in quarantine."

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