Home therapists who have to stay at home, how to evacuate after an earthquake?

▲ Citizens who came out of the building after the Jeju earthquake

What should self-quarantine do in the event of a natural disaster, such as a 4.9 earthquake off the coast of Jeju that occurred in the afternoon of the 14th?

The response of the disaster safety authorities to this is "You can evacuate to the outside."

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Critical Headquarters) informed each local government immediately after the earthquake that self-quarantine and home healers can evacuate outside in case of an emergency.

An official from the Ministry of Public Administration and Security explained, "We have a policy of exception to prosecution for violating self-quarantine for disaster situations requiring emergency evacuation."

According to the person in charge of the earthquake, immediately after the earthquake occurred, the central government said, "If a disaster such as an earthquake occurs during self-isolation and home treatment, you can evacuate to the outside if it is difficult to stay at home. If you evacuate, be sure to wear a mask and communicate with others. Contact should be kept to a minimum.”

"Dedicated public officials should urgently check the safety and health status of self-quarantine and home-treated people, and whether they leave the quarantined area or return," he said.

Disaster and safety authorities also informed local governments about this when there was a torrential downpour last year.

However, since this policy was not clearly indicated in the related guidelines, it is known that there were cases where some public health centers on Jeju Island were incorrectly informed that evacuation was not possible after the earthquake.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Security provides guidelines for the actions of self-quarantine and home healers for evacuation in the event of a disaster and the situation that local governments should take in response to this in the 'Coronavirus Infectious Disease 19 Response Guidelines' of the Central Quarantine Countermeasure Headquarters and the 'Self-Quarantine Monitoring Tips' of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. He said that he would pursue a plan to clearly define it.

(Photo = provided by the reader, Yonhap News)