Ahn Cheol-soo: "Will Prepare a 100-Day Roadmap for COVID-19 Emergency Response"

Ahn Cheol-soo, Chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee, is delivering opening remarks at the '10th Emergency COVID-19 Response Special Committee' held at the Transition Committee office in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Ahn Cheol-soo, Chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee and the Special Committee for COVID-19 Emergency Response, announced on the 11th that "a 100-day roadmap for COVID-19 emergency response will be prepared."

Chairman Ahn stated at the 10th COVID Special Committee meeting held in the transition committee meeting room set up at the Financial Training Institute in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, in the afternoon, "We must select the main tasks to be intensively promoted during the first 100 days after the new government’s launch and include a concrete action plan to ensure swift implementation."

Chairman Ahn said, "I understand that the government is reviewing additional social distancing relaxations, the transition to the general medical system, and the adjustment of the infectious disease classification from level 1 to level 2," adding, "While the transition of the quarantine response system is the right direction, I am concerned whether sufficient preparations have been made. Thorough preliminary measures to prevent confusion before implementation must come first."

He continued, "▲Special infection control measures for high-risk facilities and medical institutions ▲Community support measures for those in need of care such as elderly living alone and persons with disabilities ▲Government measures for the daily recovery of confirmed cases, including paid leave at workplaces, recognition of attendance for confirmed students, and opportunities to take midterm exams must be prepared."

He also added, "Before implementing these measures, it is necessary to provide sufficient prior explanations to the public to avoid confusion, including why the current quarantine response system transition is necessary, under what circumstances it may revert to level 1, and how quarantine measures will be strengthened."

Chairman Ahn emphasized that the government must thoroughly review whether there are any shortcomings as it transitions to a sustainable response system suitable for the post-Omicron situation. The special committee’s promotion of the 100-day COVID-19 emergency response roadmap is in this context.

He explained, "The special committee has meticulously reviewed the government’s COVID-19 response process so far and examined the direction of scientific quarantine policies and various policy implementation plans to overcome the COVID-19 epidemic situation that has lasted more than two years," adding, "Starting from today’s meeting, we intend to concretely organize the framework and content of scientific quarantine policies to be implemented by the new government and turn them into tasks one by one."

In particular, he added, "We aim to set the four major directions for the new government’s COVID response as ▲quarantine policies based on scientific evidence ▲a sustainable and efficient infectious disease response system ▲stronger protection for high-risk and vulnerable groups ▲and securing safe vaccines and sufficient treatments."