The central government has made clear that local authorities cannot pursue their own COVID-19 vaccine procurement.

In a Friday briefing, Health Ministry official Son Young-rae said that vaccine supply and inoculation are tasks covered by the central government in a nationwide, integrated manner.

He said that introducing vaccines is not something local governments can push for on their own.

In a provincial assembly meeting Thursday, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung announced that a working-level review was under way to determine whether it's possible to bring in newly developed vaccines on the provincial level.

Also in the briefing, the ministry official brushed off rumored discord between central and local governments regarding quarantine measures, and stressed that communication and cooperation has continued. 

Son said that local government heads conveying new ideas is part and parcel of a process to find the best, reasonable solutions.