Upcoming consecutive holiday 'watershed moment' in fight against coronavirus
The government is bracing for a possible surge in coronavirus infections.
By Park Si-soo
A consecutive holiday that will last up to six days is set to begin from Thursday. And the period will be a “watershed moment” in the nation's protracted fight against coronavirus, a top health official said Tuesday.
“Exactly 100 days have passed since we had the report of the first case of coronavirus infection,” Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-rip said at a daily media briefing on Tuesday. “The infection curve has flattened significantly with only around 10 new cases reported daily and overall things are getting stabilized.”
Kim gave “dedicated health workers and public officials” credit for the improvement, but noted that the “game is not over yet.”
“The closer the physical distance among people becomes, the higher the chances of having more new cases,” he said, adding that the upcoming consecutive holiday would become a watershed moment in pandemic management.
The government has extended the nationwide strict social campaign until May 5 (next Tuesday) ― the last day of the holiday ― as part of efforts to minimize human-to-human social interaction during the holiday.
This Thursday is Buddha's birthday, a national holiday, and next Tuesday is Children's Day, another national holiday. So if you can take a day off on Friday and next Monday, you can enjoy a six-day break from Thursday to Tuesday.
While the government is anxious and concerned about the holiday, people seem to be taking it as an opportunity to break out of the so-called “coronavirus blues” that has weighed on them for months.
The demand for domestic air travel, for instance, has soared during the period ― tickets to the resort island of Jeju have already sold out. Hotel rooms at major domestic tourist attractions are almost fully booked. Authorities believe numerous cars will be on the road during the holiday in pursuit of emotional compensation for the “lost spring.”