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| Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun attends a daily government meeting on the COVID-19 pandemic in Seoul, Monday./ Yonhap |
By Kim Se-jeong
The government will discuss easing social-distancing rules later this week as COVID-19 infections have shown signs of decreasing, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Monday.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 25 new infections Sunday, pushing the total number of cases to 10,537, with 217 deaths.
Chung also said the administration would replace any easing of the social-distancing campaign with an enhanced personal hygiene program.
He cautioned, however, that the government will take a cautious attitude toward relaxing rules because it could give mixed messages to citizens, and reiterated Korea was not immune to a second wave of COVID-19 infections.
"We shouldn't forget things are still far from being normal and shouldn't lower our guard completely. It could cost us a lot. That's why the government is very cautious about easing social distancing regulations."
The enhanced personal hygiene guidelines include skipping work for three to four days when falling sick; keeping a full arms-span distance when meeting people; opening windows for 15 minutes at home in the morning and evening; disinfecting lamp switches and door knobs regularly; washing hands for at least 30 seconds; and sneezing or coughing into your elbow or a tissue.
Among the 25 newly added cases, 16 people contracted the virus outside Korea.
The KCDC recently began testing arrivals from the U.S., which has seen a skyrocketing number of cases in recent weeks.
Korea has seen an increasing number of confirmed cases among Koreans arriving from the U.S. in the last two weeks ― 228 out of 459 confirmed cases involving newly arrived Koreans came from America.
All people entering the country from the U.S. now are subject to testing and self-quarantine for two weeks.
The government has also canceled visa-free entry for people from 90 countries to help further prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
All visa applicants must submit health certificates along with other relevant documents at Korean embassies.
On Monday, police in Seoul sought to arrest a Korean male from the U.S. who broke self-quarantine rules twice in one day and provided an inaccurate address to the KCDC at the airport.
According to the police, the 68-year-old left the quarantine facility twice to visit a local sauna and a restaurant. If indicted, he could be fined up to 10 million won or imprisoned for one year.
The man is likely to be asked to wear an electronic bracelet to allow his movements to be tracked. On Saturday, the government decided to introduce the measure only for those who have a record of violating self-quarantine rules, after a heated debate over possible human rights violations.
"If the man agrees to wear it, he will see the punishment reduced. This is how we see the bracelet measure working," said Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip, during a daily press briefing.
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