South Korea poised to extend 'social distancing' for another two weeks

A medical worker checks a visitor's temperature at Jesaeng Hospital in Seongnam, south of Seoul, Friday, after the hospital was reopened. The hospital was closed following the confirmation of multiple COVID-19 infection cases there in March. /Yonhap

By Bahk Eun-ji

As the government debates when to officially ease its nationwide social-distancing campaign, the prime minister renewed calls on citizens to adhere to the restrictions for at least another week or two.

“We saw many people out on the streets during the Easter weekend and on election day. We need to have a close look at the possible rapid spread of further cases,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a daily government briefing.

While some local news outlets reported the government will extend the campaign for another two weeks, until May 3, Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official in charge of the quarantine effort, said the government was considering an announcement over the weekend.

Yoon added the end of official campaign would not necessarily mean the end of social distancing.

“Some people get this wrong. Even though the official campaign is over, people still need to keep their social distance along with personal hygiene guidelines,” Yoon said.

Strict guidelines for social distancing have been enforced since March 22, and recently extended by two weeks to Sunday. The health ministry has strongly recommended citizens to stay home, and suspend religious gatherings and large indoor activities.

Yoon said the government has been discussing with experts the introduction of new quarantine guidelines that would allow people to return to their daily lives.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 22 new infections Thursday, bringing the nation's total to 10,635. The death toll rose by one to 230. The number of patients released from quarantine after recovery reached 7,829, up 72 from a day earlier.

The number of daily new cases here has been under 50 for the last nine days, mainly due to the extensive social distancing campaign, which has been strictly adhered to by most people since the nation saw a peak of 999 confirmed COVID-19 cases, Feb. 29.

The health authorities remain on high alert over imported cases as well as infection clusters at churches and hospitals. Among the 22 new cases, 11 were detected at checkpoints for inbound travelers at airports and ports. This brings the total number of imported cases to 983.

The government has enforced obligatory self-quarantine measures for 14 days on all passengers coming from overseas in order to contain imported cases more effectively since April 1.

Starting Friday, all late-night international flights have been asked to arrive in Korea between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m., so that passengers can undergo inspections quickly and reduce their time spent waiting for transportation.

The southeastern city of Daegu, the region worst hit by the pandemic, reported no new cases for the first time in a week, however, the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reported four. Other major provinces and cities also reported new infections with two in Seoul and one in Gyeonggi Province.