By Kim Young Deok and Kim Minji
Seoul l March 9, 2020

"We are seeing success in our efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19. Korea is creating a new system to respond to the infectious disease."

So said Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kim Gang-lip, who is also deputy director of the Central Epidemic Control Countermeasure Headquarters under the Korean Centers for Disease Control, on March 9 at a joint government briefing with 44 foreign media outlets attending on the nation's response to COVID-19 at the Foreign Press Center in Seoul.

The official said the government's new response system provides information transparently and rapidly, makes full use of advanced information technology, conducts diagnostic testing faster than any other country, and has highly trained and outstanding medical professionals and top-notch medical institutions.

"The travel histories of confirmed patients are being made public and briefings are being conducted twice a day," he said, citing 50 drive-through screening clinics where a medical examination, heat detection and sample extraction take just ten minutes while people remain seated in their vehicles. He added that Korea is capable of processing up to 15,000 diagnostic tests a day.

"The world now faces a common threat, COVID-19. Close collaboration through solidarity will enable us to defeat our common enemy," he said, adding, “Korea, as a member of the global community, will share its experience and knowledge with the rest of the world."

At a Q&A session, health officials evaluated the government's preemptive measures for successful prevention of the disease.

"Cooperation with civic groups was led by the government," said Kim Yeon-jae, an infectious disease specialist at the Center for Infectious Disease of the National Medical Center, adding, "We saw the participation of a large number of medical experts, and were able to jointly evaluate with the private group, quickly assess the diagnosis kits and distribute them fast."

kyd1991@korea.kr