Prime Minister Kim: "Daily Recovery Focused on 'Fully Vaccinated'... Bold Easing of Quarantine Starting with Hard-Hit Industries" (Update)

Committee for Daily Life Recovery Support

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is presiding over the 2nd COVID-19 Recovery Support Committee meeting held at the Government Seoul Office on the 22nd. 2021.10.22
Photo by Yonhap News

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seonhee] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stated on the 22nd regarding the phased recovery of daily life (With Corona), "The easing of quarantine measures will be boldly and actively implemented starting with industries that have suffered greatly and marginalized groups, as well as facilities with a low risk of infection spread." He added, "In the initial phase of daily recovery, quarantine standards should be relaxed primarily for those who have completed vaccination." A detailed implementation plan is expected to be announced next week.

On the morning of the same day, Prime Minister Kim chaired the Daily Recovery Support Committee at the Government Seoul Office and said, "The public has been very tired and fatigued from strictly cooperating with social distancing for a long time," adding, "It is perhaps natural that the public's expectations and hopes for daily recovery are growing."

The government expects the vaccination completion rate to exceed 70% by this weekend. Prime Minister Kim said, "The number of confirmed cases, which once surged to the 3,000 range at the end of last month, has recently shown a clear decline," and added, "We believe we are gradually approaching the starting point of phased daily recovery." He continued, "Based on the committee's discussions, we will provide a detailed 'Phased Daily Recovery Implementation Plan' to the public next week."

Emphasizing the 'easing of quarantine measures centered on vaccinated individuals' in the early stage of daily recovery, Prime Minister Kim said, "It is an inevitable choice to start daily recovery while lowering the risk of infection spread." He further explained, "If it is necessary to introduce the so-called 'vaccination certificate and negative test confirmation system' during this process, the system should be designed and operated with sufficient consideration for those who are unvaccinated or unable to be vaccinated for health reasons."

He also stated, "Daily recovery will be systematically carried out by dividing the timing into several phases," adding, "Going forward, indicators such as the severity rate and mortality rate will be given more weight, and the medical response system will be adjusted accordingly." At the same time, he emphasized that quarantine based on 'autonomy and responsibility' must be further strengthened.

Prime Minister Kim said, "We should not view daily recovery merely as 'easing quarantine rules,' but broadly as an effort to remove the shadows cast across society by COVID-19," and added, "We will heal the wounds of self-employed and small business owners who were directly hit by COVID-19 and support their swift recovery."

Finally, he said, "The phased daily recovery we are about to begin must proceed cautiously and may be at a pace that does not satisfy the public," but added, "We will incorporate voices from all sectors as much as possible, explain each step in detail, gain consensus, and continue the journey of daily recovery."