Health Authorities: "Suppressing COVID-19 Through Social Distancing... Exploring Attempts for an Open Daily Life" (Update)

Kwon Jun-wook "Caution on 'Silent Spread' in Northern Gyeonggi Military Units... No Safe Place"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The quarantine authorities have judged that the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is being suppressed as the public actively participates in social distancing before and after the Chuseok holiday. However, since the risk of COVID-19 occurrence is heightened due to movement and gatherings during the Chuseok holiday this week, they urged people to adhere to quarantine rules such as distancing and wearing masks.

At the regular briefing on the 6th, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, stated, "If the current situation of occurrence, that is, the suppressed situation, can be maintained throughout this week, we will be able to try more diverse approaches." He explained that if COVID-19 is suppressed, it could lead to a more open daily life with added distancing measures, and it would create an opportunity to explore ways to live safely with the virus in each living space.

Deputy Director Kwon mentioned, "The spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19 has brought significant changes to our daily lives in the past as well," adding, "It was only about 130 years ago that humanity worldwide began managing behaviors such as spitting on the streets or indiscriminately throwing waste, which started for the control of tuberculosis and waterborne infectious diseases."

He said, "In the near future, I think the behavioral rules of the COVID-19 era, including mask-wearing and physical distancing that we are currently practicing, will become established as daily norms or regulations for all humanity," and added, "It might be an unavoidable path and one that we must take."

Deputy Director Kwon stated, "Even if COVID-19 threatens us in various ways, we can suppress its spread through distancing," and said, "Until the epidemic ultimately ends by securing safe and effective vaccines and through vaccination, personal quarantine such as handwashing and mask-wearing, as well as social quarantine like distancing, are necessary."

He continued, "As seen in the case of a military unit in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, silent transmission accumulates and close activities increase, making explosive outbreaks possible anywhere and anytime," and added, "We must think that there is no safe place around us."

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