[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced on the 29th that starting from 0:00 on April 1, mandatory two-week quarantine will be expanded to all entrants regardless of region or nationality in relation to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).
In his opening remarks at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on COVID-19 held at the Government Seoul Office on the same day, Prime Minister Chung explained, "If there is no residence in the country, mandatory quarantine for two weeks will be enforced at government-provided facilities, and the costs must be borne by the individuals themselves." This measure was taken in consideration of the unprecedented rapid global spread of COVID-19.
Prime Minister Chung also explained that the U.S. labor market has suffered a significant blow due to the spread of COVID-19. He said, "In the U.S. labor market, where employment and dismissal are flexible, the number of unemployment benefit applicants increased by 3 million in the past week," adding, "This suggests that the impact of COVID-19 on the labor market is enormous, being five times larger than during the global financial crisis."
He further stated, "It is hard to say that the economic damage our country, which is highly dependent on external factors, will suffer is less than that of the U.S.," and urged, "The Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and other related ministries should thoroughly implement the planned measures and consider preparing additional measures."
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