Lee Jae-myung Appeals: "Facing Full Lockdown Crisis. Please Join in Strict Compliance with Quarantine Guidelines"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung appealed to residents that "strict compliance with quarantine guidelines is the best way to prevent the fourth wave of COVID-19 and avoid full lockdown."

Governor Lee held an emergency press conference at Gyeonggi Provincial Government on the 13th to announce measures to prevent the spread of the fourth wave of COVID-19.

The governor stated, "The fourth wave of COVID-19 that we have been concerned about has begun in earnest. Unlike before, this fourth wave is characterized by faster speed and difficulty in tracing the source of infection." He added, "While we have successfully navigated the waves of the first, second, and third pandemics through the participation and sacrifice of residents, today I am appealing for their participation in even greater hardships than before."

He continued, "If we do not stop the explosive increase in spread happening now, we face a crisis where full lockdown is inevitable." He emphasized, "We must prevent full lockdown at all costs. What the world has marveled at regarding South Korea's COVID-19 quarantine response is that we have prevented the spread of COVID-19 and treated infected patients while maintaining basic living conditions for citizens without implementing full lockdown."

Governor Lee then explained Gyeonggi Province's measures to prevent the fourth wave.

First, the province is strengthening testing capacity by extending operations of screening clinics and temporary testing sites.

The existing operating hours of 6 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. on weekends have been extended to 9 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively, with 32 of the 112 screening clinics and temporary testing sites in the province participating.

Additionally, the province has expanded preemptive diagnostic testing for quarantine-vulnerable sectors including karaoke room operators and workers, as well as academy workers in six cities and counties including Suwon, Yongin, and Goyang, and people with symptoms.

To prevent early spread of cluster infections, the province is conducting pre-testing using self-test kits targeting workplaces with high infection frequency such as call centers and logistics centers.

The province plans to provide support to approximately 49,906 people working at a total of 12,097 workplaces in the province during July.

The province is also conducting special quarantine inspections, jointly by the province and municipal governments, conducting intensive inspections of entertainment establishments and restaurants and cafes on compliance with operational hour restrictions and prohibition of private gatherings.

The province plans to respond strongly to businesses violating quarantine rules, and for multi-use facilities violating core quarantine rules, it plans to apply a one-strike-out system resulting in 10 days of business suspension.

On the 7th, the province recommended cities and counties implement administrative orders prohibiting outdoor drinking in parks. The applicable time is from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day, and violations may result in fines of up to 100,000 won.

At the same time, the province is expanding dedicated infection disease hospital beds and community treatment centers to respond to the surge in confirmed cases.

Through securing an additional 155 isolation beds at Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center and strengthening workforce, the province is securing a total of 1,589 dedicated infection disease hospital beds and is preparing seamlessly so patients can receive timely treatment.

The province plans to open two additional community treatment centers with cooperation from Kyonggi University and the Korea Expressway Corporation in Hwaseong, adding 1,636 beds to secure a total of 3,358 beds for community treatment center use.

The community treatment center utilizing the Korea Expressway Corporation Human Resources Development Institute in Hwaseong (136 rooms) began operations on the 12th.

In particular, the province submitted a recommendation to the central government to revise guidelines to include adults as self-treatment targets to partially supplement the functions of relatively insufficient community treatment centers and to respect psychological stability and self-determination regarding treatment for treatment subjects.

Additionally, the province plans to provide essential daily necessities equivalent to those for self-quarantine using the provincial disaster relief fund for self-treatment recipients.

The province is also reviewing the operation of temporary living facilities for unconfirmed family members of self-treatment recipients by first designating five cities including Goyang and Seongnam, where recent confirmed cases have surged.

With seamless vaccination being key, the 1.4 million doses of Israeli Pfizer vaccines recently introduced will be administered to occupational groups with high contact with the public such as academy workers, transportation workers, delivery workers, and sanitation workers.

The first vaccination period is from July 13 to 24, with vaccinations conducted at 51 vaccination centers in the province.

Vaccine side effect income loss compensation will also be provided to ensure economic stability of vulnerable workers and eliminate quarantine blind spots.

Governor Lee stated, "Daily confirmed cases in Gyeonggi Province are at around 300, which is not at a level requiring the implementation of level 4 social distancing that is applied when daily confirmed cases exceed 530." He said, "The reason we are preemptively implementing level 4 social distancing is because the Seoul metropolitan area shares a common living space, and there are concerns about so-called balloon effects. In quarantine response, excessive measures are better than insufficient or delayed response."

Governor Lee stated, "Please accept the current concerning situation seriously and strictly comply with personal quarantine rules as well as level 4 social distancing guidelines." He emphasized, "Gyeonggi Province, together with 31 cities and counties, will mobilize all available resources and do our utmost to overcome the fourth wave. To protect the lives and safety of residents, we will approach quarantine this time with determination to end COVID-19 once and for all. Please join us."