Prime Minister Kim: "Home Treatment System for COVID-19 to Be Established Within This Week"

COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is speaking at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office on the morning of the 5th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on the 5th said, regarding preparations for the phased recovery of daily life from COVID-19 (With Corona), "Please establish a plan for building a home treatment system within this week."

On the morning of the same day, Prime Minister Kim chaired the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting at the Government Seoul Office and said, "The government will thoroughly manage quarantine measures while steadily preparing for the phased recovery of daily life," adding, "With the vaccination rate increasing, the medical response system must also be reorganized accordingly to prepare for the upcoming recovery of daily life," urging the relevant authorities. Once the government plan is finalized, home treatment is expected to be actively implemented for mild COVID-19 patients instead of the existing treatment method of admitting them to residential treatment centers.

Amid the still intense spread of COVID-19 following the Chuseok holiday last month, Prime Minister Kim warned, "There are many concerns that vigilance regarding quarantine has become lax," and cautioned, "Complacency such as 'It's okay now since vaccination rates have increased' can always become a fuse for the spread of infection." He then urged, "Each ministry and local government should strengthen on-site inspections and checks to ensure that quarantine is not relaxed during the phased recovery process."

Regarding the so-called 'vaccine pass,' which relaxes quarantine rules such as lifting entry restrictions for those who have completed vaccination, he said, "The system should be designed to actively support the daily recovery of vaccinated individuals, but it is also important to prevent new discrimination or exclusion against the unvaccinated," and added, "The relevant ministries should prepare alternatives in advance so that sufficient opinions and social consensus can be reached at the soon-to-be-launched 'Daily Recovery Support Committee.'"

Prime Minister Kim also encouraged vaccination participation, stating, "According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 92% of confirmed cases during the 4th wave were among those who were unvaccinated or had not completed vaccination," and "From the 18th, those who have not yet been vaccinated will be given the opportunity to receive vaccination at any time."