Government: "COVID-19 is not spreading nationwide... Crisis alert level remains at 'Warning'" (Update)

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo is briefing on the results of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) at the Government Seoul Office on the 21st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Park Neung-hoo, Minister of Health and Welfare, emphasized on the 21st that the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea is "not yet at the stage of nationwide spread."

At the regular briefing of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19 held at the Government Seoul Office that morning, Minister Park said, "We consider the objective criterion for nationwide spread to be when patients with unknown causes appear in multiple regions." He added, "Currently, it is the early stage of community transmission sporadically occurring due to a single factor."

At the countermeasure meeting held that day, chaired by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, the government agreed to maintain the COVID-19 crisis alert at the current 'Warning' level while responding with full force as if it were the highest level, 'Serious.'

Minister Park explained, "There was a suggestion at the expanded Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting about raising the crisis level to 'Serious,' but since the infection is occurring mainly within specific groups and most cases are mild and recover within three weeks, we concluded that it is better to maintain the current 'Warning' level while actively conducting quarantine measures."

Currently, the infectious disease crisis alert in South Korea is divided into four levels: Interest, Caution, Warning, and Serious. The government raised the crisis alert level from 'Interest' to 'Caution' on January 20, when the first domestic COVID-19 patient was confirmed. A week later, as confirmed cases increased to four, the alert level was further raised to 'Warning.' The only previous case of raising the crisis alert to 'Serious' was during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.

To respond with full force equivalent to the 'Serious' crisis alert, the government decided to increase the frequency of the expanded Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meetings (the COVID-19 pan-government countermeasure meeting) chaired by the Prime Minister from once a week to three times a week, and to elevate the head of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 'Countermeasure Support Headquarters' to ministerial level to strengthen support. In all provinces and cities, local government heads will lead the 'Regional Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters' to establish a regional-level quarantine system.