Gov't to curb spread of 'corona blues' amid prolonged pandemic

A baby cries while receiving a flu vaccination shot at a children's hospital in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, Tuesday. Yonhap

Gov't to decide this weekend whether to extend level 2.5 distancing rules

By Bahk Eun-ji

The government is urging people having trouble dealing with “coronavirus blues” amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic to use suicide and crisis hotlines, health officials said Tuesday.

According to data collected by the Central Disease Control Headquarters, the daily number of calls for counseling through the hotlines temporarily run by the Ministry of Health and Welfare was 4,424, Sept. 4, nearly double the 2,457 received Aug. 14.

The government provides in-depth counseling up to three times through private experts for high-risk groups with severe symptoms such as depression and anxiety.

Experts include mental health specialists recommended by the Korean Neuropsychiatry Association, the Korean Psychological Association, and the Korean Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and those who have Level 1 qualifications for mental health specialists.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 136 new COVID-19 infections for Monday, including 120 local ones, raising the total caseload to 21,432. Five more deaths were reported, raising the death toll to 341 amid a fatality rate of 1.59 percent.

The country's new daily cases stayed below 200 for the sixth consecutive day, but health authorities remain vigilant over continuous sporadic infection cluster nationwide. In particular, the government is still on its guard ahead of the Chuseok Holiday, when many Koreans usually travel to their hometowns to spend time with their families.

Considering the country has seen a soaring number of virus infections following public holidays, the government urged people to refrain from traveling to their hometowns or visiting relatives during the holiday ― that lasts for five days from Sept. 30 ― and plans to designate the days as a special antivirus period.

The government is expected decide before the weekend whether to extend the stronger Level 2.5 social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area, which are scheduled to end Sunday.

“The final decision will be made at the end of this week. If there is no noticeable decrease in daily new cases ahead of the Chuseok Holiday, a re-extension of the Level 2.5 measure will be inevitable,” Yoon Tae-ho, a senior official at the health ministry, said in a regular briefing, Tuesday.

In order to protect vulnerable people with weak immune systems such as young children and the elderly, the KCDC has expanded its flu vaccination program before the flu season appears in the fall.

Influenza and COVID-19 are caused by different viruses, but some similar symptoms can make it hard for people to tell the difference between them.

KCDC Director Jung Eun-kyeong, also recommended that people get the vaccination to prevent overloading the medical system, which could be caused by a surge in the number of patients with respiratory diseases, and to manage their health during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, approximately 27 million doses of influenza vaccine will be supplied this year, an increase over last year. Among them, 19 million will be provided for free, up 5.19 million from last year's 13.81 million.

Until last year, the drug safety ministry offered free flu shots to the elderly aged 65 or older, pregnant women, and children aged between six months and 12, but people between the ages of 14 to 18 and 62 to 64 have been added to the list of those eligible for free flu vaccinations. Free vaccinations for children started Tuesday.