Prime Minister Jeong: "Level 3 Social Distancing is the Last Resort... Careful Consideration Needed"

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 14th, "Level 3 (social distancing) is the last line of defense we can choose, and since there must be confidence in its effectiveness and social consensus, careful consideration is necessary."

At the metropolitan area COVID-19 response status check meeting held at Seoul City Hall that day, Prime Minister Chung stated, "We are fully collecting opinions from each ministry, local governments, and experts, and if deemed necessary, we will not hesitate to make bold decisions."

Prime Minister Chung said, "In an emergency situation like now, speed is key," and added, "As already announced, the government will assume the worst-case scenario for the next 20 days, secure sufficient hospital beds and residential treatment centers, and especially support each confirmed patient without any gaps so that no one waits more than a day."

However, he expressed concern, saying, "If the current spread does not stop, no matter how many beds we secure, our medical system will find it difficult to cope," and "Moreover, this outbreak is on a different level in terms of transmission speed and scale compared to before, making the response not easy."

Prime Minister Chung said, "I am well aware that many citizens and medical staff are exhausted as COVID-19 prolongs. However, with only a short time left until a reliable vaccine and treatment are available, we cannot collapse without overcoming this final hurdle," and emphasized, "We must overcome this crisis with hope and more thorough distancing and quarantine rule compliance than ever before."

He also said, "Recent many confirmed cases have shown that the carelessness and irresponsible actions of one or two people cause tremendous damage to the community through family, friends, and colleagues," and added, "Individual responsibility is very important for the safety of the community. We will strictly hold accountable those who threaten everyone's safety according to the law without tolerance."

Prime Minister Chung reiterated the importance of the active 'participatory quarantine' of the public, saying, "First of all, it is most important that all citizens properly practice the strengthened quarantine rules currently in effect."

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