"Switching Social Distancing? Decision If Daily Average Exceeds 50 for 2 Weeks in Japan" (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The government announced that it may consider switching social distancing measures if the average daily number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 exceeds 50 over the next two weeks.

Kim Kang-lip, the 1st Chief Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 28th, "The previous day's new confirmed cases (79) exceeded the living quarantine standard, but it does not mean that the measures will be switched immediately just because the number increased by 50 in one day."

The conditions for the government's transition from social distancing to living quarantine earlier this month were 'daily new confirmed cases of 50 or fewer' and 'unidentified infection route rate within 5%.' The proportion of confirmed cases with unknown infection routes also exceeded 5%, which is considered a manageable level by health authorities, at 7.6% (23 cases) over the past two weeks.

Kim, the 1st Chief Coordinator, said, "Even if the number of new confirmed cases is high on a single day, if it stabilizes within a short period, our medical system can sufficiently accommodate patients," adding, "It is a matter to be comprehensively judged when the average of the accumulated statistics over about two weeks exceeds 50."