[Q&A] Government: "Easing Social Distancing May Cause Unmanageable Issues" (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The government announced that it will closely monitor the trend of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) over the next week. This is due to concerns that social distancing may have loosened because of the April 15 general election early voting and Easter events.

Kim Kang-lip, the 1st General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 13th, "To confirm the impact of Easter religious events and the general election last weekend, it is necessary to closely observe the trend of confirmed cases over the next week."

Kim, the 1st General Coordinator, said, "If social distancing is relaxed, it could lead to uncontrollable consequences after a few days or weeks," adding, "It is true that social distancing has successfully delayed the spread of COVID-19 so far, but if we become complacent, there is always a possibility of resurgence."

He explained, "Even countries that were considered exemplary in quarantine measures have seen a sudden increase in confirmed cases, indicating that the spread of COVID-19 is not yet fully under control," and added, "We must not let our guard down by being optimistic about the recent decline in new domestic confirmed cases."

◇Below is a Q&A with General Coordinator Kim regarding the domestic COVID-19 situation

- Is there a plan to overcome an increase in new confirmed cases after the second strengthened social distancing?

▲Currently, there is widespread discussion about living quarantine, but there is concern that this might be misunderstood as a signal to stop strong social distancing and return to normal life. Therefore, the authorities must convey a very cautious and careful message.

We are already implementing measures to listen to opinions from various experts and sectors. Related committees have been formed, and starting today, government officials will gather to discuss how each sector of society should prepare. However, this needs to be implemented gradually and in consideration of multiple measures. We are contemplating phased plans to prevent an increase in the number of new confirmed cases.

- The government’s criteria for transitioning to living quarantine, such as ‘fewer than 50 new confirmed cases per day’ and ‘less than 5% of cases with unknown infection routes,’ have been maintained for eight days since the 6th. What is your view on this?

▲Basically, these criteria are considered necessary conditions for the transition to living quarantine. However, other sufficient conditions to consider include large-scale cluster infections by region and the number of patients currently receiving treatment among all confirmed cases.

- The number of tests has now exceeded 500,000. How should this testing volume be interpreted relative to the total population?

▲Among the 500,000 tests, some individuals have been tested multiple times. For example, hospitalized patients undergo several tests to decide on discharge, and in cases of cluster infections, the entire group is tested at once. Therefore, the total number of tests conducted is close to one million when counted cumulatively.

Other countries do not conduct testing as aggressively or extensively as we do. In Korea, medical personnel have proactively tested whenever there was suspicion or necessity, so it is difficult to make a horizontal comparison of negative rates and positive detection rates between Korea and other countries on equal terms.

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