An increasing number of people are expressing distrust in, and complaints about, government policies to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, as they have failed to contain the surge of infections despite having been raised to the highest level in the Seoul metropolitan area for more than a month.
The ongoing fourth wave of infections has spread from the capital region to other parts of the country, with the daily new caseload having reached a new record of 2,223, Tuesday, while hovering around 2,000 for the rest of the week, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)
But the administration, which failed to predict the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, has yet to present more effective antivirus measures to curb the ongoing wave of cases led by the variant. Rather, it has relied only on appealing for the people’s cooperation in complying with its current measures.
Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum once again asked people to cooperate with the government’s quarantine efforts, calling for everyone to stay home during the National Liberation Day long weekend from Saturday to Monday.
“The government asks the people to minimize their meetings and activities, and stay home with family members during the three-day holiday,” Kim said in a statement to the nation Friday.
“The United States, Japan and Israel have seen increasing infections due to the spread of the Delta variant that has become the dominant strain in Korea as well. The current crisis could also affect the government’s decision to expand in-person classes for students in the fall semester.”
Kim called for companies to encourage employees to work from home and check those who come back from their summer vacation to see if they have any symptoms associated with COVID-19 such as fever.
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| Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum calls for the nation’s cooperation in antivirus measures at the Government Complex Seoul, Friday. Yonhap |
But the people, who have been following the government’s rules for more than a year-and-a-half, say they are weary of not being able to do what they want and feel more frustrated with the fact that their patience and efforts are not helping curb the infections.
“My wife and I have refrained from going out or going on a trip to follow the government’s social distancing rules for more than a year,” said a 35-year-old man working for a construction company in Seoul. “But there is no sign of this pandemic coming to an end, and we are utterly tired with the government’s pleas to follow its rules.”
Some are also raising skepticism over abiding by the government’s rules, saying that not everyone has followed the guidelines and violators are punished lightly.
Writer and TV personality Heo Ji-Woong wrote on social media, Wednesday, “The pain has been passed along to small business owners who followed the government’s rules, while punishment against those who violate the rules has been insufficient. This has resulted in people who complied with the rules feeling victimized, and this is why the government’s antivirus measures have failed to achieve their desired results.”
The comments come amid growing criticism of repeated violations of quarantine measures.
A hotel in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, was caught violating antivirus rules limiting operating hours and the number of people for gatherings, July 31, as it held a pool party after 10 p.m., during which dozens of young people enjoyed music and alcohol without wearing face masks.
The partiers, however, avoided punishment because police failed to confirm their personal information, concluding that evidence was insufficient to find them for violating the Infectious Diseases Prevention Law.
Some owners of bars and restaurants have been caught running their facilities after the 10 p.m. curfew, while some churches have pushed ahead with in-person worship services in violation of COVID-19 restrictions.
Meanwhile, a government delegation led by Vice Health Minister Kang Do-tae left for the United States, also Friday, to meet with Moderna officials to discuss ways to resolve a delayed supply of vaccines from the company.
The U.S. pharmaceutical firm notified Seoul earlier that it will supply less than half of the 8.5 million doses initially scheduled to be delivered for this month due to problems at its labs related to vaccine production.
“We will discuss measures to stabilize the vaccine supply,” Kang said before his departure from Incheon International Airport.
