Calls growing for 'live with COVID-19' strategy

People stand in line to receive a coronavirus test at a testing center near Seoul Station, Monday. Yonhap

By Lee Hyo-jin

• Published Sep 6, 2021 4:10 PM KST
• Updated Sep 6, 2021 5:37 PM KST

6 out of 10 Koreans support new quarantine scheme

By Lee Hyo-jin

There are growing calls here for the government to adopt a “live with COVID-19” strategy, under which social distancing measures can be eased in preparation for a new normal in which the country might have to live with a permanent presence of the coronavirus.

Unlike the current policy which focuses on bringing down the number of daily new infections, the new strategy would concentrate on the treatment of patients in critical condition, while relaxing distancing measures to enable people to return to their pre-pandemic daily lives.

According to a poll of 500 adults released by Realmeter, Monday, 58.5 percent of respondents said that Korea should adopt the new strategy around early October ― 34.3 percent disagreed, while the remainder were unsure.

Calls for a “live with COVID-19” strategy have been mounting especially among small business owners, who have suffered damages due to the prolonged social distancing measures that have been in place for months.

Stringent antivirus measures including a ceiling on the number of people who can meet in private gatherings, and a nighttime curfew on eateries, cafes and bars have pushed some of them to the brink of bankruptcy.

According to a coalition of self-employed individuals across the country, the combined debt held by small business owners has reached 66 trillion won ($57 billion), while 453,000 businesses have closed since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The group has threatened to stage drive-thru rallies in major cities across the country, Wednesday, to protest the 10 p.m. curfew on eateries and cafes and a lack of compensation from the government.

In response to the calls, the health authorities said they plan to review a new pandemic strategy after Chuseok, the national holiday which runs from Sept. 17 through 23, as more than 70 percent of the country's population is expected to have received at least one dose of a vaccine by then.

The government's decision made Friday to ease some of the distancing restrictions for the next four weeks was perceived by some as move to see whether the country would be able to pursue the new path from October.

“If we manage to stabilize the coronavirus situation during this month, we will make adjustments to the social distancing system in October which would bring us closer to pre-COVID-19 normalcy,” health ministry spokesman Sohn Young-rae said during a briefing Sunday.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said in order to consider implementing a new quarantine system, over 80 percent of the population ― and more than 90 percent of the elderly ― should be fully vaccinated.

Medical experts advise that the country should gradually shift toward a “live with COVID-19” strategy following sufficient discussion.

“Social distancing measures should be gradually relaxed from the point when at least half the population is fully immunized,” Chon Eun-mi, a respiratory disease specialist at Ewha Womans University Medical Center, said during an interview with local radio Monday.

But she noted that the government should refrain from making premature moves as the public may take it as a signal that everything has returned to pre-coronavirus normalcy.

Kim Yoon, a professor of health policy and medical management at Seoul National University, said, “For a successful transition to the new policy, a committee consisting of experts from not only the medical sector but also various fields such as employment, education and welfare should be launched in order to come up with a detailed plan based on scientific data.”