Prime Minister Jeong Expresses Concern Over Reality of 4th COVID Wave... Considering Introduction of 'Vaccine Leave'

COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is presiding over a video conference of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) for COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 16th. March 16, 2021. Photo by Yonhap News

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun expressed concern on the 16th, stating, "If we fail to extinguish the (COVID-19) embers by next week, the fourth wave could become a reality," and added, "The government will mobilize all available resources to focus on implementing quarantine measures on the ground."

On the morning of the same day, Prime Minister Chung chaired the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 at the Government Seoul Office and said in his opening remarks, "We will firmly suppress the flames of resurgence starting from the metropolitan area, where more than 70% of confirmed cases are reported daily." To focus on special quarantine measures for the metropolitan area, he held the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting 30 minutes earlier than usual. Opinions were exchanged with the participation of 56 basic local government heads from Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

Over the past week, the average daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 428, an increase of more than 50 compared to the previous week. Consequently, the infection reproduction number, which had fallen below 1, rose again to 1.07. This is analyzed as a result of increased mobility due to the spring season.

Prime Minister Chung emphasized, "Starting tomorrow, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters will sequentially discuss measures to break the chain of infection spread in regions outside the metropolitan area as well," and stressed, "The government's goal to reduce the number of confirmed cases to the 200s by next weekend remains firm."

Additionally, Prime Minister Chung mentioned the consideration of introducing a 'vaccine leave system' to encourage participation in COVID-19 vaccination. He said, "It is necessary to institutionalize 'vaccine leave' so that the public can participate in vaccination with peace of mind," and urged, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the Ministry of Personnel Management should promptly review institutionalization plans and report to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters."

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