Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol presides over the main meeting▶ Click here for a larger view
The government reaffirmed its position that it is difficult to maintain the current ‘social distancing’ system to respond to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) as it is, and will devise a step-by-step recovery plan.
Late October to early November is suggested as the time for the transition of the quarantine system to a gradual recovery of daily life, so-called ‘with Corona’.
◇ Switching the quarantine system from the end of October to the beginning of November… step-by-step recovery
Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol, at a panel discussion at the Korea Artist Center in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul on the 28th, asked if the current social distancing system could be maintained when referring to other countries with high vaccination rates. It is a very difficult situation to comply with.”
He said, “We are trying to find a way to restore daily life step by step, how to take social distancing and quarantine measures in the future with experts and the media.”
Regarding the timing of the phased transition to the daily recovery system, Minister Kwon said, “The end of October seems to be a transitional time when the vaccination rate is over 90% of the elderly and about 80% of the general population (based on adults). Considering the two weeks when the immune effect appears after completion, it will be around the beginning of November, and then we are considering a step-by-step recovery plan.”
He added, “The number of confirmed cases can be high due to the power of delta transmission, but when there are 4,000 or 10,000, the medical system cannot handle it,” he added.
However, even if the quarantine system is switched, it seems that it will not be possible to completely return to the daily life before the COVID-19 crisis.
Minister Kwon said, “In Singapore, it is a ‘new normal’. Lifetime lives before and after Corona 19 are inevitably different.” He said, “In particular, personal hygiene is important for those who are not vaccinated, and to protect them, indoors (for the time being) “I think we should continue to wear masks,” he said.
He added, “There is a delta mutation with great transmission power, and we have no choice but to go step by step to protect unvaccinated people.”
◇ Review of introduction of ‘Vaccine Pass’ and change of quarantine index from severe to fatal
Regarding the step-by-step recovery plan, Minister Kwon said, “First, we are reviewing measures to alleviate the distance between private gatherings and multi-use facilities with a focus on those who have completed inoculation. There is a ‘vaccine pass’ that allows those who received it to use the facility, and I think we should apply it as well,” he said.
A vaccine pass is a kind of health certificate given to people who have completed vaccination.
Minister Kwon reiterated, “We will take steps to make use of multi-use facilities centered on those who have been vaccinated, those who have recovered, and those with negative certificates. Also, the (business limit) time is currently 22:00, but we will gradually loosen the quarantine rules, such as setting it to 24:00. We will try to simplify business as much as possible.”
Minister Kwon explained that he is also considering changing the main quarantine index from ‘confirmed’ to ‘severe severity and fatality rate’.
He said, “We agree that new quarantine rules should be taken based on the severity and death rate rather than the number of confirmed cases, and we are gathering expert opinions.” We announced the announcement and applied the 4th stage when it was 47%, and we will refer to the preceding countries to discuss and come up with an implementation plan.”
In addition, the government is preparing a plan to expand home treatment in which patients with COVID-19 are treated at home and transferred to a medical institution in case of exacerbation.
Minister Kwon said, “We are trying to establish a system so that patients staying at home can check oxygen saturation, etc. and send them to the hospital to see if they are getting serious or worsening, and to compensate medical institutions with the cost of health insurance.” In case of exacerbation, immediate transport and treatment at an appropriate hospital are key.”
Gradual transition to a new quarantine system (PG)▶ Click here for a larger view
The government previously predicted that the COVID-19 epidemic would subside from the 5th to the 20th of this month, but the situation is gradually worsening.
Minister Kwon said, “During the Chuseok holiday, the number of people traveling increased to meet relatives whom they had not seen before, and the number of confirmed cases increased sharply due to increased person-to-person contact.
He said, “We are building a medical response system to deal with up to 2,500 (new confirmed cases per day),” he said.
On the other hand, Minister Kwon responded to the point that the ‘Quarantine Control Tower’ was not unified, saying, “From the outside, it may look like a ‘rooftop’ because several ministries are doing it, but each department is doing its job well.”
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