84% of Vaccinated Individuals Respond 'Recommend Vaccination'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] On the 25th, as the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Korea surpassed 100,000, 494 new cases were added on the 26th, close to the 500 mark.

Accordingly, on the 26th, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced that the current social distancing measures?Level 2 in the metropolitan area and Level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas?will be extended for two more weeks.

The current low point of daily confirmed cases remains excessively high at 300 to 400. It is expected that the distancing level can be lowered only when daily cases drop below 200.

Seven out of ten citizens responded that they intend to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to a government survey conducted on April 17 and 18 targeting 1,000 adults nationwide, 68% of respondents said they are willing to get vaccinated.

The main reason for wanting vaccination was "to prevent infection of family members," accounting for 80%. Additionally, among the 32 people who said they had already been vaccinated, 84% responded that they would recommend vaccination to others.

The government plans to accelerate the vaccination pace to advance the target date for herd immunity set for November. President Moon Jae-in also emphasized, "It is necessary to speed up vaccinations to return to daily life sooner."

Priority vaccinations in Gangnam-gu are also progressing smoothly.

Starting this Tuesday at the Seoul Nursing Home of the National Health Insurance Service located in Segok-dong, vaccinations are underway for 784 residents aged 65 and older and staff members. Considering those with mobility difficulties, a specialized team composed of doctors and nurses from the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center is conducting home visits for vaccinations in parallel.

Separately, a dedicated team of eight public officials and medical staff is responding promptly to adverse reactions after vaccination, ensuring that compensation claims can be processed immediately if any damage occurs.

The interval for the AstraZeneca vaccine is 10 weeks; those receiving their first dose now should get their second dose by early to mid-June.

Furthermore, Gangnam-gu is accepting applications until next Wednesday for vaccinations of 28,819 residents aged 75 and older, starting April 15.

Also, a vaccination center has been established at the Irwon Eco Center (Irwon-dong 4-12), with medical staff and public officials deployed, making thorough preparations.

As of the 26th, 7,273 people have registered. Those wishing to apply should bring their ID and visit the nearest community service center to register.

In the United States, although the cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases approach 30 million, vaccination is accelerating, with 2.5 to 3 million people receiving vaccines daily. New confirmed cases and deaths are generally decreasing, and notably, 70% (38 million) of Americans aged 65 and older have received at least one vaccine dose.

During the week of April 7 to 13, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients aged 65 and older dropped significantly to 502, about one-sixth of the 3,384 patients in early January.

Worldwide, including South Korea, vaccination efforts to end COVID-19 are accelerating, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that it will take time to meet global vaccine demand. Residents are reminded that, at least for now, diligent compliance with quarantine rules remains the best "preventive vaccine" against virus spread.

Now, I will explain the current COVID-19 status and key policies in Gangnam-gu.

Here is the status of confirmed cases in Gangnam-gu. As of this day, cases have reached number 1491. Cases 1483 and 1485 were confirmed through contact with previously confirmed Gangnam-gu residents, and case 1484 was a family member of a previously confirmed Gangnam-gu resident. Cases 1486, 1487, 1489, and 1491 were confirmed through contact with confirmed cases from other regions. Cases 1488 and 1490 were confirmed after symptoms such as chills appeared, but their infection routes are unknown and epidemiological investigations are ongoing.

Currently, Gangnam-gu is managing 1,342 people under self-quarantine, of whom 603 are overseas arrivals and 739 are domestic contacts.

The cumulative number of specimen tests conducted at Gangnam-gu Public Health Center’s screening clinics and temporary screening sites is 276,219. Of the 2,845 tests conducted the previous day, 39 were overseas arrivals and 2,806 were domestic residents.

Recently, cluster infections in schools have continued nationwide. In response, Gangnam-gu is conducting focused inspections on local academies, private institutes, and study cafes to check their status and compliance with quarantine rules for student health and safety.

Additionally, in 24 schools operating sports teams, inspections are underway to ensure mask-wearing and social distancing are properly observed during outdoor classes or training.

Since the early stages of the outbreak, Gangnam-gu has been proactively conducting random specimen tests on residents and staff in elderly care facilities to prevent infections.

Gangnam-gu pledges to continue its best efforts to prevent "silent transmission" through proactive specimen testing based on the infectious disease response principles of "early detection, early containment."

The "Mimiwi Gangnam COVID-19 Briefing," which began on March 31 last year, has now reached its first anniversary. The 105th briefing, scheduled for next Tuesday, will be held as a live broadcast commemorating the anniversary.

Since vaccinations began, there has been an increase in improper mask-wearing due to relaxed vigilance and warmer weather. Residents are urged to remember that even a small lapse in caution can lead to a large spread and to actively comply with the government’s extended social distancing measures until the 11th of next month.