Anchor: The number of people infected with COVID-19 in South Korea has surged to nearly 900 with more than 80 percent of cases reported in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province. In response, the presidential office, the government and the ruling party agreed on "maximum" containment measures to prevent the virus from spreading further. The move is raising suspicions the government may try close off Daegu, similar to actions taken in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the new virus.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: South Korea's presidential office, the government, and the ruling Democratic Party(DP) on Tuesday agreed to take "maximum containment" steps in virus-stricken Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, while creating an extra budget for tackling the COVID-19 outbreak.

The DP said the latest policy refers to beefing up quarantine efforts in the "special management zones," not a lockdown of the region like the situation in China's Wuhan.

The three sides plan to present a comprehensive package of measures this week to try and tackle the crisis and minimize any related economic fallout.

They will draw up an extra budget, and if the National Assembly is unable to handle the related bill due to the outbreak, they will likely seek an emergency order in cooperation with opposition parties.

The budget will be used to support Daegu and the surrounding areas as well as small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs), small business owners and exporters who have been hit hard by the outbreak.

Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin, however, expressed concern over the use of the "maximum containment" term because it could cause fear and confusion among the general public.

Kwon said he would check with officials from the tripartite meeting to find out the real intention behind their choice of words.

Amid swirling speculation that "containment" means the government is considering a complete lockdown of the region, President Moon Jae-in ordered officials to clarify that it means full efforts to prevent further transmissions.

Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip said earlier in the day that "containment" refers to a strategy of tightening border controls and enforcing measures to track down people who have come into contact with infected patients to stop further spread of the virus.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.