Prime Minister Jeong: "Let's Join Forces to Enter a Subsiding Phase of COVID-19"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun emphasized on the 28th, "Our Republic of Korea has a history of overcoming crises by uniting during difficult times," and added, "Let's put aside distinctions between central and local governments, and unite the central government, local governments, and medical personnel to help COVID-19 pass its peak and enter a lull phase."

Prime Minister Chung made these remarks during his visit to the Regional Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Gyeongsangbuk-do, which has the second highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases after Daegu.

Since the evening of the 25th, Prime Minister Chung has been stationed in Daegu, presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meetings in the mornings and visiting relevant sites immediately after to assess the local situation.

Following his visit to Cheongdo County Office yesterday, today he visited the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Office located in Andong City to encourage the public officials tirelessly responding to COVID-19 and received a report on the status of local patient cases and response measures from Governor Lee Cheol-woo.

At this occasion, Prime Minister Chung expressed his gratitude, saying, "I thank the public officials and medical staff who are doing their best despite the challenging medical environment."

He continued, "Since the Gyeongsangbuk-do region has a high proportion of elderly population, there is particular concern about vulnerability to COVID-19," urging, "Please pay special attention to the response."

Furthermore, he instructed, "Please be vigilant in preventing cluster infections, especially in places where many people live together, such as facilities for severely disabled persons in Yecheon County and Chilgok County, so that no more confirmed cases emerge."

Prime Minister Chung also stated, "The key to overcoming COVID-19 lies in how quickly patients are identified and receive necessary medical services," adding, "The COVID-19 three laws have been passed in the National Assembly, and the government is preparing a supplementary budget, so I hope the government and Gyeongsangbuk-do will communicate well to ensure that the necessary support for Gyeongsangbuk-do is properly provided."