Fears of mass outbreak looming large after Chuseok
COVID-19 cases bounce back to over 100
By Jun Ji-hye
The daily number of new COVID-19 infections in Korea has again spiked to over 100, raising fears of a potential mass outbreak following the five-day Chuseok holiday that ended Sunday, according to the health authorities Wednesday.
Ahead of Chuseok, the authorities raised concerns over the possibility that the long weekend could serve as a catalyst for outbreaks as many people were expected to travel across the country to spend time with family members, or take advantage of the five-day holiday for a vacation.
The authorities have already confirmed virus cases believed to be related to family gatherings during the holiday in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, in addition to several other sporadic clusters across the country.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the country recorded 114 new COVID-19 cases, including 94 local infections, for Tuesday, raising the total caseload to 24,353.
The nation's daily new infections bounced back to over 100 after rising by double digits for six consecutive days.
The large-scale holiday commutes were believed to have had an effect on the surge in the number of infections, according to the authorities.
In a small village in Jeongeup, at least 12 patients have tested positive for COVID-19 as of noon Wednesday, after a woman in her 30s was first confirmed to have COVID-19, Monday, according to Jeongeup city officials.
Among the 12, seven are her family members including her parents-in-law, while four are city residents.
The city put the village, where about 80 resident live, under cohort quarantine referring to a complete lockdown, Tuesday, and has since carried out coronavirus tests on all residents.
The KDCA has also confirmed at least 29 infections at a hospital in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, including 12 inpatients and one nurse.
The authorities said this week will be crucial in the country's anti-COVID-19 fight, saying they are on high alert over the possibility of an “explosive spread of infections.”
“We need to wait and see the outbreak trend this week before assessing the overall coronavirus situation,” said Sohn Young-rae, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “We have yet to see any clear sign of a slowdown of infections in Seoul and its surrounding area, and we urge people to continue to refrain from having meetings and holding events.”