"Social Distancing Should Not Lead to Distrust and Discrimination... Crisis Overcome Faster When Based on Trust"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 29th, "Please refrain from gatherings in confined indoor spaces such as religious events or outdoor events where many people are densely packed."
Prime Minister Chung held a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) at Daegu City Hall on the same day and stated, "To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the cooperation of all citizens is needed for the time being."
He urged, "Companies should actively utilize telecommuting and annual leave, and citizens should follow personal hygiene rules and refrain from unnecessary outings," adding, "I ask for the active participation of all citizens."
Prime Minister Chung's remarks appear to be a request mindful of some churches insisting on holding Sunday worship services. Despite the government's request to refrain from worship, some churches have stated their intention to continue Sunday services as usual. The Moon Jae-in Resignation National Struggle Headquarters (Beomtu-bon), led by Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of the Korea Christian Federation (Han Ki Chong), also plans to proceed with a large-scale rally in the form of a joint worship service.
Regarding the convening of the meeting, Prime Minister Chung said, "I feel sorry to all attendees, but the situation is unavoidable as confirmed cases are increasing significantly." He added, "One of the reasons for the sharp increase in patient numbers is the widespread testing being conducted to detect patients early, and I am worried that this situation will continue."
He also said, "Support for Daegu is desperately needed," and expressed sincere gratitude, saying, "The medical community, civil society, local governments, and the central government are all united in their efforts to help Daegu's difficulties."
He continued, "In just a few days since recruitment began, over 800 medical personnel have volunteered to serve despite the risk of infection, and citizen donations are pouring in," and reported, "Gyeongbuk is vacating the Red Cross hospitals in Yeongju and Sangju for Daegu patients, and the military plans to generously support military personnel."
Prime Minister Chung emphasized, "However, we are still unable to keep up with the steep increase in confirmed cases," and said, "There have been heartbreaking incidents where confirmed patients waiting for hospitalization and patients with underlying diseases died before test results came out. More support and encouragement are needed."
He added, "It is time for the government, local governments, and the medical community to come together and share wisdom on how to efficiently utilize medical resources."
Prime Minister Chung expressed, "Social distancing should not lead to distrust and discrimination," and said, "When mutual trust is the foundation, overcoming the crisis can be faster."
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