On april 15, the korean department of disease prevention stated that, on 14 april, there were 12,5846 new confirmed cases in korea, while the korean government announced that it would adjust a range of preventive measures, including the complete lifting of social distance measures and the removal of new confirmed cases from isolation, and that there appeared to have been a significant shift in the country's epidemic control system。
Why did this country, once known as the “anti-immunism model student”, choose to lift most of its vaccination measures while the new coronary virus, omikron, continues to spread and the number of confirmed cases remains at more than 100,000? And what is the price to korea of making such a choice
On 17 march, local time, a medical officer at a temporary test site in seoul, korea, directed people awaiting new coronary virus testing。
New aids policy:
New confirmed cases are exempt from quarantine
Data published by the korean disease management office on 14th day show that the average number of single-day confirmed cases in korea was as high as 404604 in the third week of march, down to 218490 in the first week of april, and 1696 cases per day from 10 to 14 april. Despite the slow increase in the number of confirmed cases, the number of new confirmed cases on a single day remained above 100,000 and the number of re-infections was increasing。
On march 17, local time, a poster on measures to prevent the new coronary virus in korea。
In this context, the prime minister of the republic of korea, kim fung-hyeon, presiding over the conference on 15 days, stated that the government had decided to fully lift the social distance measures from 18 days。
At the same time, the korean government has issued the post-omikron response plan, which aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of the vaccination and medical systems. This is also the first official announcement of the recovery of the health system in korea two years and three months after the outbreak. Specifically:
• starting on 18 april, the opening hours of public gatherings, private gatherings and mass events will be completely lifted。
— effective 25 april, the ban on diets in indoor public gatherings such as cinemas and indoor sports facilities will be fully lifted。
• since late may, new confirmed cases are no longer segregated and can be seen in front of any hospital or clinic。
• since june, all new crown vaccinations will be completed and will be exempt from segregation upon entry into korea and the number of nucleic acid tests for those entering will be reduced to one。
However, the korean government has not lifted its obligation to wear masks. The government also indicated that in the future, if there were a strong variant, the country would re-introduce entry restrictions and, if necessary, would re-establish social distance and home treatment。
In the last few days, the campaign has been launched by a group of activists who have chosen to “slide down”
It's a little expensive
In february 2020, the new coronary outbreak grew exponentially in the early stages of the outbreak in korea. The epidemic slowed down in march after the korean government imposed strict anti-prevalence measures. The republic of korea has also been recognized by the international community as an exemplary “student against disease”。
However, two years later, in march, south korea was once again caught up in the “black vortex” of the epidemic, with a growing number of cases diagnosed at over 600,000, the highest in the world. Experts have also warned on numerous occasions that the korean medical system is under severe stress. Since this year, korea has accumulated more than 15 million new crown confirmed cases and nearly 15,000 deaths。
On march 23, local time, in seoul, korea, citizens are queuing for new crown tests. Source: visual china
The epidemic is still not objective, but why does the republic of korea gradually relax its disease control and choose to “sleep down”
On april 14, the spokesman for the korean disease management agency, gao, revealed that the peak of the epidemic had passed and that the departments and researchers of the epidemic predicted that the epidemic would continue to slow down for some time to come and that there was now a need to transform the disease prevention and control system。
In response, the korean central daily news stated that there was a perception that the removal of social distance measures in korea would reduce tensions and lead to an increase in risk levels。
It is also concerned about the high number of new confirmed cases on a single day, the increase in re-infections and the possibility of new strains emerging. In addition, more than 20 per cent of the cases diagnosed over the age of 60 are among those most at risk, or there is an increase in the number of cases of acute illness。
Previously, sun shui, head of the social strategy group of the central emergency management agency of korea, stated that, given the low mortality rate of the omikron variant, there was no need to further strengthen the disease response. However, the world health organization has recently warned that the low number of cases and the number of deaths do not necessarily mean “lower risk”。
This week, the emergency committee on international health regulations, which assesses the global state of the new epidemic, agreed that it remains a public health emergency of international concern. The who director-general, tadessesai, stressed that the new coronary virus remains deadly, “it is far from time to relax, but time to work harder to save lives”。
