Authorities: "Confirmed cases in the 700s similar to last week... Final preparations for self-test kits underway" (Update)

'Low Vaccination Rate' Criticism... "Evaluation Must Consider All Factors Including Quarantine Situation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] On the 21st, as the number of new domestic COVID-19 cases rose back to the 700s after a week, the government evaluated that "the number of patients has remained largely unchanged compared to last week." They also reaffirmed their stance to suppress the number of patients through quarantine measures without escalating social distancing.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine team, stated at the COVID-19 regular briefing on the 21st, "There are various concerns, but compared to before, especially the third wave, there are many positive factors."

Yoon, who reported that vaccine administration is proceeding smoothly, said, "Compared to the past when there were many deaths and critically ill patients due to cluster infections in nursing hospitals and nursing facilities, now vaccinations are being carried out and proactive testing is underway, leading to a significant decrease in confirmed cases, which is a positive factor."

However, as a concern, he said, "The proportion of patients infected through small-scale transmissions among family, acquaintances, and coworkers continues to increase," adding, "The proportion of cases under investigation where the infection source has not been clearly identified through epidemiological investigation has risen from 23.7% a month ago to about 28% last week, which is a part that requires caution."

To address this, the government has made free testing available through public health center screening clinics even in cases without epidemiological links. The self-test kits are also in the final preparation stage. Yoon said, "Currently, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency are in the final stages of preparing self-test kits." He added, "This means that the approval process to allow the use of already approved products, especially those approved overseas for general public use, in Korea is nearing completion," and "There will be separate announcements from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety soon."

Recently, as vaccine supply shortages continue, concerns have been raised about whether the goal of achieving herd immunity by November is at risk. Regarding this, Yoon said, "In foreign countries, especially the UK and Israel, vaccination rates are increasing and immunity close to herd immunity is being formed, so there seems to be concern that Korea's vaccination rate is too low." He emphasized, "However, it is necessary to evaluate not only vaccination rates but also the country's quarantine situation, number of patients, and mortality rates."

Son Young-rae, head of the social strategy team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, also said, "The goal of vaccinating 12 million people in the first half means completing the first dose for 12 million people," adding, "If the reservation rate is low or the number of eligible people decreases, resulting in leftover vaccines, the current plan is to vaccinate lower-priority groups first to reach the 12 million target."