GOVT OFFICIALS IN CHARGE OF QUARANTINE EFFORTS

[Anchor Lead]

During these difficult times of the COVID-19 outbreak, there are government officials that gave daily briefings to the public, explained developments and sought cooperation. We hear from Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip and KCDC director Jung Eun-kyeong, two top officials among others in charge of quarantine efforts, about their views on the past 6 months of fighting the virus.

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Jung Eun-kyeong, chief of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who usually discourages on person interview due to the pandemic, made a rare exception for KBS. She first thanked the public.

[Soundbite] JUNG EUN-KYEONG(KCDC DIRECTOR) : "I would like to sincerely thank the public's trust in quarantine authorities. Such trust provides great encouragement and support to COVID-19 response efforts."

The public's trust was a more important factor than quarantine efforts.

[Soundbite] JUNG EUN-KYEONG(KCDC DIRECTOR) : "Public mistrust leading to failed psychological quarantine can make actual quarantine efforts difficult and cause unnecessary public discord as witnessed during the MERS outbreak."

The public is most curious about a possible secret solution to overcoming COVID-19. Jung said there is no such thing.

[Soundbite] JUNG EUN-KYEONG(KCDC DIRECTOR) : "The most important principle is abiding by the basic rules such as mask wearing, hand washing and avoiding crowded, sealed environments."

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip has always been as the center of key decision making while serving different posts within the ministry. During the pandemic, making policy decisions was not easy. Imported cases continued to increase but they couldn't be completely stopped.

[Soundbite] KIM GANG-LIP(VICE HEALTH MINISTER) : "There were calls for sterner measures to block imported cases. Others asked authorities to implement reasonable measures to guarantee economic activities and exchanges."

For him, the most heart breaking time was..

[Soundbite] KIM GANG-LIP(VICE HEALTH MINISTER) : "When patient numbers were spiking in Daegu, hospitals reached full capacity, forcing some people to wait at home. Many passed away while waiting to be hospitalized. It was heartbreaking."

Kim gives all the credit to the public and dedicated medical workers.

[Soundbite] KIM GANG-LIP(VICE HEALTH MINISTER) : "Personally I want to thank our employees who followed me and the minister to various sites and did their jobs with no complaint."

More important is what's ahead in the battle against COVID-19.

[Soundbite] JUNG EUN-KYEONG(KCDC DIRECTOR) : "I think it's important to establish a "with COVID-19" system that strikes balance between safe quarantine rules while enabling economic activities and vacation."