Prime Minister Jeong: "Lunar New Year Holiday, a Critical Crossroad to End or Keep Alive the Third Wave"

by Moon Chaeseok

Published 10 Feb.2021 09:31(KST)

Presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters Meeting for COVID-19 in Gwangju

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaking while presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 response held at Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall on the morning of the 10th. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 10th, "Starting tomorrow, the Lunar New Year holiday begins, and this is a critical crossroads where we can either end the third wave, the biggest crisis ever, or the dying embers may flare up again."

On the same day, Prime Minister Chung presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting for COVID-19 response at Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall and made these remarks.

He introduced, "Gwangju quickly contained the fierce flames of COVID-19 through agile response," adding, "Recently, the number of confirmed cases in Gwangju has decreased to around 10 per day."

He continued, "As has always been the case at every critical moment of COVID-19, the people are the main actors in quarantine efforts," and added, "I am confident that with the participation and cooperation of each and every citizen, we will have a safe holiday."

He also mentioned, "This year, department store sales of Lunar New Year gifts increased by about 50% compared to last year, marking the largest scale ever," explaining, "Although the upper limit on gift prices for agricultural, livestock, and fishery products was raised, many people have chosen to express their feelings through gifts instead of meeting in person."

Prime Minister Chung informed that screening clinics will continue to operate during the holiday.

He added, "Recently, there have been cases where medical staff have reported mental stress due to verbal abuse and threatening behavior from some citizens," and earnestly requested, "Please respect and consider the medical staff as if they were your own family."