Park Neung-hoo "If the COVID-19 Spread Does Not Slow, Pain and Costs Will Snowball" (Update)

"Request to Avoid Unnecessary Gatherings and Appointments, Hold Meetings Online, and Cancel Travel"

Park Neung-hoo, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, is speaking at a video conference of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office Building on the morning of the 24th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues with local transmissions occurring across the country, Park Neung-hoo, the first head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCHQ), repeatedly urged cooperation in practicing social distancing.

At the CDSCHQ meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the 24th, Head Park emphasized, "If the spread does not subside, the national suffering and the cost to our society will inevitably snowball," and added, "I once again ask you to stop your daily lives and strongly practice 'social distancing.'"

He continued, "Please refrain from unnecessary gatherings or appointments, cancel company dinners and group events at workplaces, and switch meetings to non-face-to-face formats. I also hope you cancel or postpone travel or visitation plans," expressing concern that "if we are careless, the COVID-19 virus could be transferred from our local areas to vacation spots and from vacation spots back to our local areas."

Regarding local governments, he urged, "Please thoroughly check that the Level 2 distancing guidelines are strictly applied on the ground and make every effort to conduct rapid tracing tests to prevent the spread of community infections."

Regarding the medical community's announcement of a collective strike (work stoppage), he said, "Protecting the lives and health of the people during the COVID-19 crisis is the goal of both the medical community and the government," and requested, "Please protect both the quarantine sites fighting COVID-19 and the medical sites treating patients and saving lives together."

Meanwhile, according to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of 12 noon on the day, the number of new confirmed domestic cases was counted at 266. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 17,665.

The daily number of confirmed cases has recorded three digits for 11 consecutive days from the 14th to the day, and especially from the 21st to the 23rd, the daily new confirmed cases were 324, 332, and 397 respectively, maintaining the 300s range for three consecutive days.

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