CDSCHQ "Discussion on Reducing Public Mask Supply... Announcement This Week" (Comprehensive)

Jungdaebon Discussing with MFDS and Related Ministries
Announcement Expected This Week
Prime Minister Jeong Seyeon Chairs Jungdaebon Meeting

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] This week, a plan to improve the public mask system by reducing the supply of public masks and strengthening private distribution is expected to be prepared.

On the 14th, Son Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, held a Q&A session during a regular briefing at the Government Seoul Office and said, "At today's Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting, Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun instructed improvement measures related to mask supply."

He added, "He requested to reduce the supply of public masks according to market economic principles and to explore ways for consumers to obtain masks," and "After discussions with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and other related departments, it is expected to be announced within this week."

Son also explained, "As the Prime Minister mentioned, supply and demand are stabilizing," and "Specific measures will be announced after discussions with related ministries, including methods of mask supply, the ratio of private quantity allocation, and management plans." In particular, since the use of summer masks for droplet protection has increased instead of the existing KF-grade masks, this will also be considered in the allocation of quantities.

Earlier, Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and stated, "It is now time to supplement the system so that the public can conveniently purchase the masks they want at reasonable prices."

The Prime Minister added, "It is necessary to lower the mandatory public supply ratio so that manufacturers can expand the production of summer masks and open the way for exports within the range where there is no problem with domestic supply and demand." This is interpreted as an intention to stop public mask supply and entrust mask distribution to the private sector, as the emergency supply adjustment measures for masks and hand sanitizers related to public mask supply will end on the 30th of this month.

Meanwhile, the quarantine authorities expressed concern that the risk level in the metropolitan area continues to rise due to the aftermath of COVID-19 cluster outbreaks and urged residents of the metropolitan area and workplaces to actively cooperate with quarantine measures. The sharp increase in the proportion of confirmed cases aged 50 and over to 59% is also a worrying factor.

Son said, "Sporadic cluster infections are continuing one after another in the metropolitan area, and the risk level is continuously rising," adding, "Thanks to the efforts of metropolitan residents in daily quarantine and the tracking efforts of the quarantine authorities, large-scale spread is being prevented, but the tracking speed is not sufficient to keep up with the spread trend."

According to the CDSCH, cluster infections have continued mainly in metropolitan area church small groups, door-to-door sales companies, and table tennis halls, with the average daily number of new confirmed cases in the recent two weeks (May 31 to June 13) reaching 43.6, a significant increase compared to 28.9 in the previous two weeks (May 17 to May 30). The so-called 'dark figure' patients, whose infection routes are unknown, have also increased. Among the 610 new confirmed cases in the recent two weeks, 9.2% (56 cases) had unclear infection routes, up 1.8 percentage points from 7.4% in the previous two weeks.

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