Prime Minister Jeong: "A Significant Portion of COVID-19 Overseas Influx Can Be Controlled"

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 3rd regarding the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), "I expect that the scale of self-quarantined individuals will stabilize soon, and if the number of incoming travelers decreases from now on, a significant portion of overseas inflow can be controlled."

On the same day, Prime Minister Chung presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting at the Government Seoul Office and stated, "For the time being, overseas arrivals will continue, and confirmed cases discovered during quarantine will also increase, but if contact with the local community is well managed and blocked, the infection will not spread."

He emphasized, "However, people who entered before the mandatory self-quarantine are still in blind spots," and added, "Active responses from local governments are necessary to ensure that these individuals do not ignore government recommendations and avoid contact with the local community."

He also urged, "Please consider management through the designation of dedicated public officials and diagnostic testing if capacity allows."

Regarding the mandatory self-quarantine for all arrivals starting from the 1st, Prime Minister Chung said, "On the first day of implementation, most arrivals moved to self-quarantine locations following controlled routes, but there were some confusions such as using convenience stores and restrooms without separation from the general public," and added, "However, since yesterday, many of these issues have been corrected."

He continued, "The role of local governments that actively assigned staff at airports to guide arrivals from the respective areas and conduct diagnostic tests was very significant," and added, "I deeply appreciate this, and it would be good to share these best practices with other local governments."

Prime Minister Chung also stated, "The number of parents using emergency care is increasing, with 13% of kindergartens and nearly one-third of daycare children attending," emphasizing, "Efforts for safe care are necessary."

Furthermore, he said, "There must be meticulous management to check the health of care teachers and workers, control visitors, conduct regular disinfection, and reduce density and contact," and instructed, "The Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Ministry of Gender Equality and Family should frequently monitor the situation and take necessary measures such as timely support of budgets and supplies."

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