Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Saturday the country has no choice but to continue strict social distancing for some time.

Chairing a COVID-19 response meeting at the Seoul Government Complex, Chung said now is not the time to lower our guard and loosen up as it could make all efforts so far futile.

He said the opinion of medical experts and local communities is not different and stressed that prevention is better than treatment. He added that patience and enduring the costs now is better than having to face unmanageable chaos.

The prime minister sincerely urged the public to continue practicing social distancing for the safety of communities, saying it is the fastest way to return to normal life.

Chung added that South Korea remains relatively safe from infections compared to the U.S. or Europe, and the healthcare system can manage the current situation. He also said the number of patients whose infection routes could not be determined has sharply decreased.