Lee Jae-gap "Social Distancing Must Be Raised to Level 3... Community Infection Fully Begins"

On the 27th, when the number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection surged to the 400s, the screening clinic set up at Yeongdeungpo-gu Public Health Center in Seoul was crowded with citizens seeking tests. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] On the 28th, as the number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) recorded the high 300s, voices are emerging calling for raising social distancing to Level 3 to prevent the spread of infection.

Professor Lee Jae-gap, an infectious disease specialist at Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, emphasized in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the same day, "Community transmission has officially begun," and "We need to quickly raise (social distancing) to Level 3."

Professor Lee explained, "Now, it is not just confined to the metropolitan area, but cluster outbreak cases are increasing nationwide, so it is a very serious situation," adding, "For now, many citizens need to strongly practice social distancing; it seems we have reached a stage where we can somewhat control the spread."

He said, "Social distancing should actually be proactive. When the outbreak situation worsens, it should be declared early to slow down the increasing rate, and social distancing should be implemented for that purpose," emphasizing, "For social distancing to be maximized, more than 90% of the entire population must participate, and if everyone cooperates simultaneously, the infection rate will drop significantly."

He continued, "Infectious disease experts have been talking about raising to Level 3 continuously," and "In cases like Daegu and Gyeongbuk, when proactive measures were taken, the outbreak was controlled more quickly. I think it is right to quickly raise to Level 3 proactively now," mentioning the necessity of upgrading social distancing.

Professor Lee also stressed the need for government support for the economic damage incurred simultaneously with raising to Level 3.

He said, "We cannot ignore the economic situation. The major problem is that small business owners and daily workers immediately lose their jobs, so the shock in that area will be considerable," adding, "Therefore, it is better to raise to Level 3 and end the outbreak quickly."

He added, "For those who suffer the most damage when Level 3 is implemented, full support such as employment retention must accompany it to increase compliance," and "Therefore, the government must definitely have countermeasures prepared before starting."

Meanwhile, the Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on the same day, 371 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were added, bringing the total to 10,977.

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