Park Neung-hoo: "No Place Nationwide Can Be Said to Be Safe from COVID-19"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Park Neung-hoo, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), stated on the 22nd that "there is no place in the country that can be considered safe" in relation to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the same day, Deputy Head Park said, "Infections originating from door-to-door sales businesses in the Daejeon area are spreading again to surrounding regions such as Chungnam, Sejong, Jeonbuk, and Gwangju."

To suppress community infections, the government will add four facilities with high levels of enclosure and crowding?door-to-door sales companies, logistics centers, large academies, and buffet restaurants?where recent cluster infections have occurred or are likely to occur, in addition to the existing eight high-risk facilities such as entertainment bars.

Deputy Head Park urged, "Although the quarantine authorities are conducting thorough epidemiological investigations, they are unable to fully keep up with the spread of infections. Therefore, I hope that each ministry and local government will proactively identify high-risk facilities in advance and respond preemptively." He added, "Please also prepare without delay the establishment of regional joint quarantine systems by zones such as the metropolitan area and Chungcheong region to efficiently utilize local medical resources in preparation for confirmed cases."

Additionally, the government will implement preemptive preventive measures such as restricting the issuance of new visas for Pakistan and Bangladesh, countries with a high number of confirmed cases among incoming travelers, starting from the 23rd.

The number of confirmed cases imported from overseas surged from 48 during June 8?14 to 90 during June 15?21. Deputy Head Park explained, "Imported confirmed cases are increasing mainly from South Asia," and added, "Although there have been no cases of overseas importation leading to community transmission, the possibility of infection during the travel process cannot be ruled out."

During the meeting, the government discussed measures to reduce the work fatigue of medical personnel. Plans include reducing operating hours during heatwave periods, establishing rest standards to prevent long working hours, and providing additional shift workers to regions with a surge in workload. Furthermore, breathable surgical gowns and cooling vests will be distributed, and support will be provided to install air conditioning and heating units in all screening clinics of medical institutions and public health centers.

Deputy Head Park emphasized, "As COVID-19 is spreading across the country and the number of confirmed cases with unknown infection routes is increasing, this is a critical time to prevent community spread," and stressed, "The most effective way to protect yourself, your family, and our community is for each individual to comply with quarantine guidelines."

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