1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha, together with officials of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (KCDC), held the 2nd briefing session on the efforts by the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to control the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 15:30-16:30, March 6.

° The event chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha brought together 130 people -- diplomats of 112 countries, including 47 Ambassadors, as well as officials of international organizations in the ROK. 

2. In her opening statement, Minister Kang explained that the recent, rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in the ROK is due to the speedy diagnostic testing for high-risk groups. She went on to stress that the ROK government is making efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 by implementing various measures, including fever checks at airports.

° The Minister also introduced the ROK’s innovative disease control system, including drive-thru testing stations designed to enable swift diagnostic testing with a reduced risk of cross infections.

° The Minister, quoting Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, mentioned that the international community is demonstrating unwavering confidence in the ROK’s disease control response. 
 

° Minister Kang asked the foreign embassies in the ROK to be eyes and ears of their governments as they accurately report the situation in the ROK in order for those governments to have confidence in the ROK’s disease control capacity and not to excessively limit people-to-people exchanges.