[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] Amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, referred to as 'Wuhan Pneumonia,' President Moon Jae-in delivered a national message on the 26th, stating, "The government, together with local governments, is making every necessary effort at all levels, so I urge the public to trust the government and not to have excessive anxiety about the necessary measures."
On the third day of the Lunar New Year holiday, President Moon said via Facebook, "Since there are many travelers from China or returnees from visits, the government is operating a 24-hour response system without lowering its guard during the holiday period."
The novel coronavirus infection, which first occurred in Wuhan, China, is spreading mainly in China, and the third confirmed case was reported domestically on the same day.
Regarding this, President Moon held a phone call from 10:25 to 10:37 a.m. with Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), and Jung Ki-hyun, Director of the National Medical Center, to receive a report on the response situation and gave direct instructions.
Blue House Deputy Spokesperson Han Jung-woo stated in a written briefing that "President Moon emphasized the importance of blocking patient inflow from the quarantine stage during the call with Director Jung and requested more proactive measures."
President Moon particularly stressed the need for thorough quarantine at 'airports and ports,' and since the quarantine target has expanded from Wuhan to visits throughout China, he urged thorough preparation for future responses.
Furthermore, President Moon instructed, "Patients who have visited epidemic areas in China and exhibit fever and respiratory symptoms can visit medical institutions for treatment, so cooperate with medical organizations to inform healthcare workers well and devise support measures to enable appropriate responses."
He also emphasized inter-ministerial cooperation and urged thorough efforts to protect healthcare workers themselves, requesting prevention of hospital infections. Along with this, he encouraged the dedication of KCDC staff working during the holiday and asked for special consideration for employees handling excessive workloads.
President Moon particularly asked Director Jung to make encouragement calls to medical institutions accommodating confirmed patients, such as Incheon Medical Center and Myongji Hospital.
In his call with Director Jung Ki-hyun, President Moon mentioned the late Yoon Han-duk, head of the Central Emergency Medical Center, who died from overwork during last year's Lunar New Year holiday, expressing gratitude for the dedication of medical staff handling heavy workloads such as emergency response and those committed to public safety.
President Moon emphasized, "To alleviate public anxiety, the KCDC should continue active and proactive measures, and if there are matters requiring inter-ministerial cooperation and mobilization of capabilities, please propose them, and I promise maximum support."
In response, Director Jung reported detailed information on the three confirmed domestic cases and the virus spread stage originating from Wuhan, China, stating, "As the lead agency for quarantine response, we will actively strive in our response." He added, "To prepare for increased testing demand, we will soon introduce a new testing method to expand testing capacity."
Regarding the request for medical staff, Director Jung Ki-hyun reported the emergency duty situation during the Lunar New Year holiday, saying, "We will do our best for public safety." He also stated, "We will secure testing capacity and make thorough preparations to secure treatment beds for confirmed patients."
On the third day of the Lunar New Year holiday and the day the third confirmed case of Wuhan pneumonia was reported in South Korea, a homebound traveler wearing a mask is leaving the platform at Seoul Station. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Meanwhile, the National Health Commission of China (NHC) announced that as of midnight, 1,975 confirmed cases of 'Wuhan Pneumonia' have been reported across 30 provinces nationwide, with 56 deaths. Compared to the previous day, confirmed cases increased by 688 and deaths by 15, triggering an emergency alert among health authorities throughout China. Additionally, confirmed cases have been reported in neighboring regions including Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, as well as countries such as Thailand, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia.
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