60% of Seoul Citizens Say "Social Distancing Should Continue a Bit Longer"

Transition to Living Quarantine System on the 19th... Half Respondents Want 'Economic Normalization'
'Asymptomatic Infection' Most Concerning but Acceptable if Controlled
8 out of 10 Trust Management Capability... Thorough Preparation Needed for Workplaces and Schools

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Six out of ten Seoul citizens think that the scheduled end of 'social distancing' on the 19th is somewhat premature. The government has extended the period of strengthened social distancing until the 19th. After that, the system will transition to a 'daily quarantine system,' with the biggest concern being 'asymptomatic infections,' according to the survey.

According to an online public opinion survey on COVID-19 conducted by Seoul City through Global Research from the 10th to the 12th, targeting 1,000 Seoul citizens aged 18 and older, 97% of respondents answered that it is necessary to return to daily life after the end of the strengthened social distancing on the 19th and transition to a daily quarantine system that balances daily life and quarantine.

More than half of the respondents chose 'overcoming the economic crisis through normalization of economic activities (51.3%)' as the biggest reason for the need for transition, followed by 'relieving fatigue and psychological anxiety caused by prolonged distancing (19.8%)' and 'the need to resume outings and physical activities (13.5%)' as major reasons.

Regarding the appropriate timing for the transition to the daily quarantine system, 'when the government has established a controllable response system regardless of the number of confirmed cases' was ranked first at 36.5%, followed by 'when new confirmed cases are below 10 (33.8%)', 'below 30 (19.6%)', and 'below 50 (9.2%)'.

When asked about the necessity of transition based on the 19th, 33.4% of respondents said 'it is necessary to transition to the daily quarantine system immediately from the 19th,' while 63.6% said 'transition is necessary but the 19th is a bit early,' indicating that concerns about the transition remain high.

The biggest concerns when transitioning to the daily quarantine system were 'asymptomatic infections and infections of unknown origin (58.5%)' and 'new large-scale group infections (41.6%)'. Three out of ten citizens also worried about a 'situation where national control is impossible.'

The most concerning facilities and environments were 'multi-use facilities such as entertainment and religious facilities (46.9%)', 'childcare and educational facilities (42.2%)', and 'public transportation (35.7%)'.

Meanwhile, more than eight out of ten citizens trusted the society's infectious disease management capabilities such as 'treatment of infected patients (89.6%)' and 'control of infectious disease spread (80.6%)'.

Also, more than seven out of ten trusted 'preparations for daily quarantine in workplaces, schools, and local communities (73.5%)', 'capabilities to provide guidelines and information (73.2%)', and 'government administrative guidance and supervision capabilities (71%)'.

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