Prime Minister Jeong: "Local infections controllable within range... Must maintain vigilance"

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 17th, "The aftermath of the local infections that started in Itaewon is still ongoing, but as a result of conducting widespread and rapid testing of those involved, the number of tests has exceeded 60,000, and the positive rate is being managed around 0.3%."

Prime Minister Chung presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting for COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office and stated, "We must remain vigilant, but I believe this local infection can be controlled within the capacity of our quarantine system."

He added, "I thank the voluntary cooperation of the citizens and the dedication of medical staff and public officials," and said, "The prompt decision by the mayors and governors to impose gathering bans on entertainment facilities and adopt anonymous testing greatly helped in blocking the spread."

Prime Minister Chung explained, "There are many lessons to learn from this local infection case," and noted, "What is concerning is that secondary, tertiary, and quaternary infections account for nearly half of all confirmed cases."

He continued, "Infections can occur anytime and anywhere. The goal of quarantine measures during the everyday distancing phase is not to suppress infection cases to zero," adding, "That seems impossible unless all economic activities are stopped. The key is to control sporadic infections from spreading to the community."

Furthermore, he said, "We must focus on early detection and response to infection cases and minimizing n-th generation infections," and added, "Along with the response capacity of quarantine authorities, ultimately, the effectiveness of everyday distancing quarantine rules in blocking infection spread and the public’s adherence to these rules will determine the long-term success of quarantine."

Prime Minister Chung also mentioned, "No transmission was found in religious facilities in this case," and expressed, "I deeply thank the religious community for strictly following the quarantine rules."

However, he noted, "It was not effective in preventing spread in academies, workplaces, karaoke rooms, and entertainment facilities," and instructed, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare should convene the Everyday Quarantine Committee this week, ahead of the third week of everyday distancing, to hear experts’ opinions and, if there are shortcomings, supplement and prepare improvement measures."

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