[Q&A] "Concerned that social distancing might be misunderstood as being relaxed"

Jung Eun-kyung, Head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] As the government eased some guidelines until May 5 and extended social distancing, health authorities urged, "Do not misunderstand that social distancing has been relaxed or stopped."

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said at a regular briefing on the domestic situation of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) on the afternoon of the 20th, "From the perspective of health authorities, we are most concerned that the public might misunderstand the message."

The government extended social distancing for 16 days, lowering the recommendation for 'suspension of operation' at religious facilities, entertainment venues, and indoor crowded facilities to 'refrain from use,' and allowed the reopening of national parks, natural recreation forests, and arboretums on the condition of compliance with quarantine rules. Outdoor crowded facilities can also operate if conditions for dispersion, such as no spectators in professional baseball games, are met.

The following are key Q&A from Head Jung Eun-kyung's briefing that day

- Social distancing has been partially eased; how do you foresee the occurrence of COVID-19 cases?

▲ From the health authorities' standpoint, we are most concerned that the public might misunderstand this message as meaning social distancing is being relaxed or stopped. While some easing has been made under the premise of compliance with quarantine guidelines for dispersed outdoor activities, administrative orders are still maintained for entertainment venues, indoor sports facilities, academies, and religious facilities, which are judged to have a high risk of COVID-19. We also recommend refraining from operation until it becomes safer if possible. We earnestly urge the public once again to actively comply with social distancing and infectious disease prevention rules so that the easing measures do not lead to a large-scale outbreak.

- What guidelines apply to entertainment establishments and PC rooms located underground or without windows, where ventilation and other quarantine measures cannot be properly followed?

▲ Monitoring of symptomatic users such as those with fever and frequent disinfection are necessary, along with compliance with other quarantine guidelines. We think it is appropriate to refrain from operation until the risk level decreases as much as possible. We will strengthen management and supervision in cooperation with local governments to ensure compliance with infection prevention rules.

- Regarding indoor sports facilities, swimming pools cannot be used while wearing masks. How is this addressed?

▲ It is necessary to disinfect and ventilate as much as possible and reduce the number of users to avoid high density. Also, it is important to maintain physical distancing of more than 2 meters during exercise or instruction.

- When does the health authority consider it appropriate to resume school attendance?

▲ Social distancing will continue until May 5, and if the risk remains low until then, school reopening can be considered. Therefore, it is a situation where active preparation for school reopening is necessary. Each school is preparing measures and conducting drills on how to respond if confirmed cases occur, making this a meaningful period for preparing for school reopening. The Ministry of Education is currently collecting diverse opinions and reviewing when to resume school attendance. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters will also have discussions on this.

- There are opinions that we should prepare for a second wave of COVID-19. What is your view?

▲ COVID-19 is a novel virus, so there are limits to accurately predicting how it will develop. Many experts say that the current COVID-19 outbreak is unlikely to end quickly. The virus itself tends to progress with mild or asymptomatic cases, has very high transmissibility, and it is still unknown how immunity forms after infection, whether herd immunity levels will rise, or how long immunity will last. Therefore, it is judged difficult to completely block or end it, and a long-term battle is expected. It is anticipated that the epidemic will repeat waves of spread and easing, and in winter, when the virus is more likely to occur and environments become enclosed, there is a possibility of a major outbreak. Hence, more rigorous preparation is necessary. There is also a possibility that the epidemic will continue for one year or several years.

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