Prime Minister Jeong: "Claims of COVID-19 Test Manipulation Are Completely False" (Update)

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun stated on the 18th, "Recently, there have been claims in some parts of society that the government might manipulate the volume of COVID-19 diagnostic tests or even their results, but this is completely untrue."

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office Building that day, Prime Minister Chung said, "Baseless false claims not only demoralize the medical staff who are working hard on the frontlines of quarantine but also can cause public distrust and confusion. We must keep this in mind."

He explained, "Both specimen collection and diagnostic testing are conducted by local governments nationwide, and more than 360 private medical institutions are also participating. Therefore, any attempt by the government to manipulate the number of tests or results is fundamentally impossible."

Prime Minister Chung mentioned, "Despite many citizens enduring hardships and cooperating with quarantine measures, the daily number of confirmed cases has remained in the 100s for over two weeks, which is very frustrating."

He continued, "Since June, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been conducting proactive testing for the general public, and after testing about 8,500 people so far, the first confirmed case was recently reported. While the exact infection route needs to be verified, the fact that COVID-19 was spreading outside the quarantine network is enough to cause us concern."

He then emphasized, "In such situations, each institution and facility must strengthen their own quarantine management, and individuals must strictly follow quarantine rules such as wearing masks anytime and anywhere. There is no other way to prevent the spread of infection."

Furthermore, he stressed, "As we approach the start of the special quarantine period next week, everyone must not lower their vigilance and must participate in quarantine efforts."