Government: "3rd Wave Begins... If Infection Chains Are Not Broken, Sustained Quarantine and Medical Response Will Be Impossible" (Update)

Kang Do-tae, the First Senior Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Vice Minister of Health and Welfare), is speaking while presiding over a meeting on the response to the novel coronavirus infection at the Government Complex Sejong in Sejong City on the morning of the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] On the 23rd, the government expressed concern about the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), stating, "If the chain of infection is not broken, both quarantine and medical response could become unsustainable."

Kang Dotae, the first chief coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH), said in his opening remarks at the CDSCH meeting held at the Government Complex Sejong on the same day, "COVID-19 has been quietly spreading in daily life, with over 2,000 confirmed cases in the past week, marking the beginning of the third wave."

Coordinator Kang added, "Unlike the first and second waves, COVID-19 is quietly spreading among family and acquaintances, as well as in spaces where masks must be removed. In nursing facilities in Anyang and Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, about 160 people were infected within 3 to 4 weeks starting from a single confirmed case."

Regarding the elevation of social distancing to Level 2 in the metropolitan area, he said, "It is very regrettable that the level has been raised to Level 2 just three days after the upgrade to Level 1.5. To prepare for the upcoming College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) next week and to prevent a wave of a large-scale outbreak that could severely damage daily life and the economy, preemptive quarantine measures are inevitable."

He continued, "To block the spread of infection regardless of time and place, including family and acquaintance gatherings, saunas, sports facilities, academies, and medical institutions, we ask everyone to strictly control their daily lives even if it is inconvenient. The government will also establish a comprehensive inter-ministerial response system to strongly promote precise quarantine centered on workplaces and living spaces, and significantly strengthen on-site inspections of social distancing."

Finally, Coordinator Kang stated, "In a recent survey on perceptions related to COVID-19, nearly half of the respondents answered that 'COVID-19 infection is a matter of luck,' but infection is not the problem of an unlucky individual. No one is free from the risk of infection. The infection rate has increased by more than 50%, from 0.98 in the first week of this month to 1.55 in the third week."

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