Ahn Cheol-soo Requests Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to Ease Social Distancing After Confirming Peak

Transition Team Briefs on COVID-19 Emergency Special Committee Discussions
Transition Team Also Requests Extension of Disposable Product Usage Ban Exemption

Ahn Cheol-soo, Chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee, is holding a press conference on the morning of the 30th at the Transition Committee office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Transition Committee Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Ahn Cheol-soo, chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee, argued that the easing of social distancing measures should be done step-by-step only after a clear confirmation of a decline in COVID-19 cases.

On the 30th, Chairman Ahn held a briefing at the transition committee office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, explaining the progress of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Special Committee's activities.

Regarding the government's social distancing measures, Chairman Ahn pointed out, "When (Omicron) was on the rise, weakening social distancing led to further spread," and added, "It is appropriate to ease social distancing to some extent once the peak is confirmed and the trend is declining."

He continued, "Although the situation is still somewhat unstable, many experts commonly expect a shift to a decline in March," and concerning the current 'private gatherings limited to 8 people and business hours restricted until 11 PM,' he stated, "We have requested the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) to ease distancing measures step-by-step once a clear decline in spread is confirmed, and we are awaiting their response."

He added, "I expect that soon there will be confirmation of a decrease in cases and an announcement of eased social distancing measures."

Furthermore, Chairman Ahn said, "It is necessary not only to ease social distancing but also to prepare for an increase in deaths or critically ill patients," and mentioned that he requested measures to address this as well.

Chairman Ahn also said, "Regarding support for self-employed and small business owners, we requested the government to extend once more the temporary exemption of the ban on disposable products, which was set to expire on April 1," adding, "The Ministry of Environment is moving toward a direction of postponement rather than a complete ban and is reviewing this positively."

Additionally, Chairman Ahn pointed out that there is a blind spot in estimating the economic losses caused by COVID-19, saying, "Budgets necessary for quarantine measures have been omitted so far, but it is necessary to properly estimate these parts and transparently seek public understanding."

He said, "There are more omissions than expected in the budget estimates. We need to address this as well to grasp the overall estimated budget size," and revealed plans to focus on this issue in the Special Committee's Livelihood Economy Division going forward.

Regarding the specific budget estimation method, he explained, "First, while estimating the compensation for losses or necessary finances, we also need to examine how to maintain fiscal soundness and what the proper mix is," adding, "There could be cash support, but on the other hand, there are also methods like loans or tax credits."

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