Minister Kwon Deok-cheol Expresses Concern Over 'Seoul-style Quarantine'... "Caution Needed in Introducing Self-Diagnosis Kits"

"Metropolitan Area Cases May Explode Further to an Unmanageable Level"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Kwon Deok-cheol, Minister of Health and Welfare, expressed a cautious stance on June 13 regarding Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's 'Seoul-type Coexistence Quarantine.' He emphasized the need for thorough discussions with experts, as the outbreak could potentially become more explosive.

In an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the same day, Minister Kwon stated, "Currently, more than half of the confirmed cases are coming from Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, and if it explodes further here, it could reach a level that authorities cannot manage."

Recently, Seoul City has been planning to promote the Seoul-type Coexistence Quarantine. Although specific measures have not yet been finalized, it is known that the plan includes easing business restrictions by industry. In particular, for entertainment facilities where many confirmed cases have occurred, it is reported that they intend to relax operating hour restrictions on the condition of introducing self-diagnostic kits.

Regarding this, Minister Kwon said, "For the rules to work on the ground, two conditions must be met: business owners must firmly implement such measures, and users must comply." He added, "Since entertainment facilities are mostly places where alcohol is consumed, I wonder how easy it is to demand and ensure compliance with quarantine rules."

He continued, "After lowering the social distancing level, the authorities lifted business restrictions on entertainment facilities, but there have been significant confirmed cases in places like Busan and Gyeongnam," pointing out, "They said they would voluntarily comply with quarantine rules, but it is not working."

Regarding the introduction of self-diagnostic kits, he explained, "If a 'positive' case is reported as 'negative,' the risk of infection spreading increases. While these kits can be used as a supplementary tool, we need to hear expert opinions on how to address such issues."

For now, Minister Kwon stated that local governments, including Seoul, have the authority to implement quarantine measures. However, he showed a cautious attitude, saying, "Since confirmed cases in Seoul and Gyeonggi account for 60 to 70% of the national total, we need to consider whether selective measures on entertainment facilities are the best way to ensure citizens' safety and prevent infection, or if there are other options." He added, "So far, local governments and related ministries have coordinated relevant measures through the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meetings. Since the entire country functions as a daily living zone and Seoul may experience a balloon effect, proceeding independently could increase risk factors, so we will cooperate closely with Seoul City and take appropriate measures."

Minister Kwon assessed the current COVID-19 outbreak situation as being at the "threshold or early stage of the fourth wave," emphasizing, "The infection reproduction number has exceeded 1.2, meaning one person can infect one to two others, so we recognize this as a dangerous situation." Regarding why the social distancing level was not raised despite the worsening outbreak, he explained, "We considered that the current medical response capacity is sufficient and implemented 'pinpoint quarantine' to avoid harming industries that are complying well with quarantine rules."

Regarding vaccines, he said, "The vaccines planned for introduction in the first half of the year amount to 20.8 million doses, which is enough for the first dose of 12 million people." He added, "Through securing raw materials, we have been able to domestically contract-produce 20 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, and Moderna vaccines will also be introduced according to schedule."

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