Health Authorities "Exploring Measures to Strengthen Social Distancing"
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters (Jeju) Reporter Park Chang-won] Recently, as secondary infections through entertainment bars and other venues have continued in the Jeju area, showing signs of a large-scale outbreak, quarantine authorities are exploring measures to raise social distancing levels.
Recently, confirmed cases have occurred in entertainment establishments in Jeju, and as the tension eased with ancestral rites where many relatives gather, Jeju's quarantine authorities hinted at the possibility of raising social distancing measures.
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province announced on the 7th that it conducted 1,895 COVID-19 diagnostic tests on the 6th and confirmed 12 new cases (Jeju numbers 744 to 755).
This is the fourth time this year that more than 10 confirmed cases have been reported in a single day, following January 1 (13 cases), January 3 (10 cases), and May 4 (13 cases), and the second time this month.
A total of 41 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the Jeju area this month, with 334 additional cases recorded this year.
Notably, among the 41 confirmed cases this month, 26 cases, accounting for 63.4%, were confirmed after being classified as contacts of confirmed cases in the Jeju area.
Other cases include 6 confirmed through travel history to other regions or overseas, and the remaining 9 are under investigation to identify the source of infection.
Among the 12 new confirmed cases added on the 6th, 11 (Jeju 744-745, Jeju 747-755) are Jeju residents, and 1 is a foreign tourist (Jeju 746).
According to the epidemiological investigation conducted so far, these confirmed cases were residents who had contact with confirmed cases in Jeju. Jeju 746 is a foreigner who entered the island for travel, and Jeju 750 entered from Busan to meet family residing in Jeju.
Jeju 751 to 754 voluntarily underwent testing due to COVID-19 symptoms and were confirmed positive.
Jeju Province has designated the two weeks from the 10th to the 23rd as an "Intensive Quarantine Inspection Period" and plans to form special inspection teams by departments responsible for social distancing to thoroughly check compliance with quarantine rules.
In particular, ‘Party24’ and ‘Jeonwon Colatec,’ where recent confirmed cases occurred, were found to have neglected visitor log management such as handwritten logs and Jeju Safety Code authentication, and will be fined 1.5 million KRW for violating quarantine rules.
Im Tae-bong, head of Jeju Province’s COVID-19 Quarantine Response Promotion Team, said, “Recent epidemiological investigations have confirmed that nearly twenty people gathered for ancestral rites, indicating signs of easing tension about quarantine among residents,” adding, “Depending on the trend of cases, we are considering an immediate upgrade of social distancing from the current level 1.5 to level 2.”
Kim Mi-ya, an epidemiologist in Jeju Province, also said, “Although quarantine authorities are making great efforts, the increase in individual contacts with family, relatives, and acquaintances is causing the spread, and there are signs that it could lead to a large-scale outbreak,” urging, “We must break away from the mindset of ‘It’s okay if it’s just me.’”
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