Government: "Quarantine Strengthening Measures to be Indefinitely Extended Until New Cases Drop to Single Digits" (Update)

A closure notice is posted at the entrance of Seongsim Daycare Center in Dobong-gu, Seoul, where 13 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported on the 12th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] The government has decided to extend the enhanced quarantine management system that was initially set to be applied temporarily until the 14th. No specific deadline has been set; the system will remain in place until the number of new confirmed cases drops to single digits. This measure comes in response to the continued spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), mainly in the metropolitan area.

At a briefing on the 12th, Park Neung-hoo, the first head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stated, "In consultation with local governments in the metropolitan area, we have decided to extend the current enhanced quarantine management system and to make additional efforts to strengthen quarantine measures." Previously, the measure was set for a 17-day period from the 29th of last month to the 14th of this month, but this time no end date has been set. Park added that the plan is to maintain the system until new confirmed cases in the metropolitan area decrease to single digits.

According to authorities, since the implementation of these enhanced quarantine measures on the 29th of last month until the day before today, 96.4% of domestically transmitted cases have originated from the metropolitan area. Cluster infections have erupted in various places such as small gatherings centered around churches including the Gaechuk Church in the metropolitan area, indoor sports facilities like table tennis halls, and door-to-door sales companies. Moreover, secondary and subsequent transmission cases spreading from these facilities have also increased.

Park said, "By the time the first patient in a cluster outbreak is identified, third and fourth transmissions have often already occurred, indicating a rapid spread." He added, "While cluster infections in high-risk facilities under management are decreasing, infections are spreading sequentially through facilities and small gatherings where administrative oversight is difficult and quarantine management is weak."

Park Neung-hoo, the 1st Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), is giving a briefing on the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 12th. <이미지:Yonhap News>

However, the government clarified that it will not revert to the social distancing measures seen in March and April. With school reopening underway, returning to strict social distancing could cause harm to students’ studies and the livelihoods of frontline self-employed workers.

The government will maintain the designation of high-risk facilities such as karaoke rooms, which have a high risk of cluster infections, while adding other facilities to strengthen management. By gathering field opinions, they will proactively inspect vulnerable facilities that have been overlooked, thereby expanding the management network. Additionally, considering the warming weather, the supply of droplet-blocking masks will be increased, and promotional activities will be intensified to make mask-wearing a routine practice in multi-use facilities.

Furthermore, to accelerate the tracing speed of quarantine authorities, the number of epidemiological investigators in the metropolitan area will be increased, and a system for continuous cooperation with the police agency’s rapid response team will be established. The electronic entry log system for high-risk facilities, which has been in effect since the 10th, will be introduced, and recommendations for academies and PC rooms in the metropolitan area will be changed to mandatory requirements. In addition, in preparation for a potential surge in cases, plans for a joint bed response system in the metropolitan area will be finalized in advance, and two nationally designated joint residential treatment centers will be newly established in addition to the living treatment centers operated by local governments.

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