WHO's Warning: "Rapid Return to Normal Life is Difficult"

Secretary-General Press Conference Heightens Sense of Crisis
"Situation Will Worsen Without Masks"
Serious Domestic and Overseas Imported Infections Require Thorough Management

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) <이미지:연합뉴스>

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] "Honestly, returning to the 'everyday life as before' in the near future will not happen."

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned this at a press conference on the 13th (local time). He expressed a sense of crisis over the fact that more than 200,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported daily around the world. Although Director-General Ghebreyesus did not mention specific countries, he pointed out that the quarantine measures in regions with a sharp increase in cases, such as the United States and Brazil, are insufficient and emphasized the need for a "clear and consistent strategy."

According to WHO, the number of new cases worldwide on that day was counted at 215,539. The Americas, which include the United States and Brazil, the top two countries in cumulative cases, accounted for 130,000 cases, representing 57% of the total. Tens of thousands of new cases are also reported daily in India and South Africa. In the past, typical infectious disease patterns showed fluctuations depending on the hemisphere or season. However, COVID-19 is spreading indiscriminately across regions and weather conditions worldwide, with the speed of spread accelerating. Until a few months ago, many expected the cases to subside temporarily and then resurge in the fall, but there are no signs of abatement.

Director-General Ghebreyesus stated that returning to the past is impossible because in some countries like the United States, quarantine measures have been relaxed due to the resumption of economic activities, leading to the spread of infections. He said, "If governments do not communicate clearly with citizens and do not implement strategies focused on saving lives, and if basic public health principles such as social distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, cough etiquette, and staying home when sick are not followed, this pandemic will take a worse turn in the future."

Arrivals at Incheon International Airport are moving while listening to explanations from officials.

19 Imported Cases and 14 Local Cases Domestically, Total 33
Over Half of Cases in a Week Are Imported, Total 178

In South Korea, small-scale cluster infections have been emerging in various places, and recently, the number of cases presumed to be imported from overseas has increased, prompting quarantine authorities to focus on entry management. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of the 14th, a total of 33 new cases were confirmed, of which 19 were imported cases. Twelve were confirmed positive during quarantine, and seven were confirmed during isolation after entry. The remaining 14 were local cases through contact with existing confirmed patients.

Based on the recent week, imported cases numbered 178, accounting for more than half of the total new cases (332). The number of people entering South Korea from overseas has been around 4,000 per day this month, with a particularly high number of foreigners entering from Asian countries recently. Most foreigners entering the country stay in temporary living facilities arranged separately by the government, with 2,469 out of 3,022 rooms across eight facilities occupied as of 8 p.m. the previous day.

Since the day before, the government has strengthened quarantine measures for foreigners entering from four countries including Kazakhstan by requiring a negative COVID-19 test certificate and mandating quarantine for all foreign seafarers. The government is also considering expanding entry restrictions by increasing the number of countries required to submit negative test certificates. A Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters official said, "Temporary living facilities are safe as they accommodate entrants with low infection risk and are isolated from the outside," adding, "We are also considering preparing various types of living facilities depending on the status of entrants and private demand."

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