COVID-19 RESPONSE MEETING UNDER YOON

[Anchor Lead]

The first COVID-19 response meeting under the new administration has been held. Although the new leadership has yet to finalize its strategies for fighting the pandemic, its COVID-19 100-day roadmap has begun. The decline in coronavirus cases in Korea has slowed down recently as people are traveling more.

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The first COVID-19 response meeting under the new administration was presided by Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Ki-il. The prime minister and the director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency did not attend. Authorities are apparently preparing a brand new response system.

[Soundbite] Lee Ki-il(Vice Minister of Health and Welfare) : "We will introduce a scientific and sustainable COVID-19 response system within 100 days to prepare thoroughly for new mass outbreaks."

The government has decided to simplify the complicated in-person COVID treatment system so that infected patients can receive health care at community clinics. To improve public access, clinics providing in-person COVID treatment will be named in the same way. High-risk patients will be able to receive testing and prescriptions on the same day. The decision on when to lift quarantine measures for the infected is to be up for discussion next week. The government at first set the transition period for downgrading COVID-19 to Class 2 infectious disease as May 23. But, authorities clarified that it was a mere mention of a discussion timeline and said the date could be pushed back.

[Soundbite] Sohn Young-rae(Central Disasters Management HQs) : "Rather than announcing a date, we will analyze the situation next week to reach a rational conclusion based on scientific facts."

The government added if the 7-day average of daily cases remains within 100,000, optimal treatment would be possible. Korea reported some 43,900 new cases on Wednesday, only about five thousand fewer than a week ago, pointing to a slowdown in the decline rate. The main reason is an increase in travel amid relaxed restrictions. The amount of population movement during week 3 under relaxed restrictions recorded more than 280 million, an increase of 11 percent from the previous week. It was also found to be even higher than during the corresponding period in 2019, meaning travel within the nation has ecovered to pre-pandemic levels.