Prime Minister Jeong: "Wearing Masks and Social Distancing Are the Most Reliable Vaccines Available"

"Raising Social Distancing to Level 3, Decision Made After Careful Review"

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on the 27th urged, "Please make a little more effort in personal quarantine measures such as wearing masks, the most reliable vaccine currently available, and social distancing." He also expressed a cautious stance, saying, "The decision to raise social distancing to level 3 will be made after careful consideration."

On the same day, Prime Minister Chung made these remarks during the 16th Thursday Dialogue held at his official residence in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, under the theme "Current Status and Prospects of the COVID-19 Resurgence, and Our Response?"

Prime Minister Chung said, "I believe that no response to protect the lives and safety of the people is ever excessive," adding, "Raising social distancing to level 3, which bans gatherings of more than 10 people and suspends operations of medium-risk facilities such as cafes, could deliver a huge shock to the daily lives of citizens and the economy of ordinary people, so it must be decided after careful consideration."

He continued, "I think the progress over the next few days will be a turning point for raising the level," emphasizing, "The government will do its utmost to prevent further spread."

During the Thursday Dialogue, Professor Lee Jae-gap of the Infectious Diseases Department at Gangnam Seongshim Hospital mentioned the possibility of repeated resurgences and a major outbreak in the fall and winter through his presentation on "Current Status and Response to the COVID-19 Resurgence."

Professor Lee said, "Along with accurate analysis and prediction of the crisis situation, compliance with quarantine rules such as mask-wearing by the public is most important, so effective messaging to maximize public participation is necessary."

He also proposed, "Appropriate allocation of medical resources is needed to balance the response to COVID-19 patients and emergency patients with other diseases," adding, "To this end, individualized prevention strategies should be established for each medical facility, including general and university hospitals, nursing hospitals, small and medium-sized hospitals, and clinics."

In addition, the dialogue discussed response measures to stabilize the current spread by comparing and analyzing the previous Daegu and Gyeongbuk outbreak.

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