COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting
Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is speaking while presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 response at the Government Complex Sejong in Sejong City on the morning of the 24th. 2021.8.24 [Photo by Yonhap News]
[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum recently addressed the Moderna vaccine supply disruptions, stating on the 24th, "Through efforts such as the government delegation's protest visit to the headquarters, the import of 7.01 million doses of the Moderna vaccine has been confirmed by early September, and some of the promised doses arrived in the country yesterday." He added, "Accordingly, we will revise the vaccination plan so that more citizens can receive the vaccine sooner."
On the morning of the same day, Prime Minister Kim presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting at the Government Complex Sejong and said, "The government will continue to do its best to ensure stable vaccine supply and smooth vaccination."
As strengthened quarantine measures limiting operating hours of restaurants and cafes to 9 p.m. were implemented from the previous day in Level 4 areas, Prime Minister Kim expressed, "I feel sorry and regretful that the shortened operating hours cause further hardship to self-employed business owners," but emphasized, "However, the government is determined to break the chain of the fourth wave this time." He also reminded that about half of the total confirmed cases are due to personal contact and urged, "Please thoroughly practice personal quarantine rules in daily life and get preemptive testing if there is even the slightest suspicion, which is the basic principle of quarantine."
Furthermore, regarding the increase in the COVID-19 positive rate among foreigners residing in the country to 13.6%, he stated, "Preemptive measures are necessary," and urged relevant ministries and local governments to "expand preemptive testing in areas densely populated by foreigners and workplaces with many foreign workers, and strengthen on-site inspections."
In particular, addressing employers who hire foreigners, he said, "The government does not consider residency status when it comes to quarantine as promised," and requested, "Employers should directly guide and persuade undocumented foreign workers, who may have concerns about their status, to actively participate in COVID testing and vaccination."
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