Prime Minister Kim Urges COVID-19 Testing After Returning to Hometown

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is delivering a public address on the 24th at the Government Seoul Office regarding quarantine measures in response to the spread of the Omicron variant. Prime Minister Kim urged the public to refrain from visiting their hometowns during the Lunar New Year holiday./Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum urged on the 2nd, "Those who have returned to their hometowns are requested to undergo COVID-19 testing before returning to work or their livelihoods."

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting held at the Government Seoul Office, Prime Minister Kim said, "Considering the experience of increased confirmed cases immediately after holidays with high mobility and the high transmissibility of Omicron, a strong spread is expected to continue for some time." In fact, the number of new confirmed cases on the lunar New Year's Day, the 1st, was recorded at 20,270. This surpassed 20,000 just a week after the number first rose to the 10,000 range on the 26th of last month.

Prime Minister Kim said, "For the time being, please refrain from visiting multi-use facilities and closely monitor your health condition," adding, "Workplaces should practice proactive diagnostic testing to prevent the spread of infection within the workplace in advance." He continued, "The speed of Omicron's spread is faster than expected," and "If this spread is not suppressed, it will lead to various concerning situations."

Prime Minister Kim explained, "The 'community clinic-centered COVID-19 testing and treatment system,' which can be considered a core task of the Omicron response strategy, will be fully implemented nationwide starting tomorrow," and "Since health authorities will communicate with local medical associations, especially directors of community clinics do not need to be overly concerned."

He also said, "We ask the public to trust the government and continue to cooperate with quarantine measures as they have done so far," emphasizing the importance of active participation in the third vaccination, wearing masks of KF-80 or higher, and getting tested if symptoms are suspected.