Third wave of COVID-19 looming in Korea
People wearing face masks walk in the shopping district of Myeongdong in downtown Seoul, Wednesday, a day before Level 1.5 social distancing guidelines will come into effect in greater Seoul amid a growing spread of COVID-19. Yonhap
Daily infections hit 3-month high of 313
By Bahk Eun-ji
Daily new COVID-19 cases surpassed 300 here, Wednesday, raising concerns that a third wave of the pandemic is beginning to hit the country.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), there were 313 coronavirus infections for Tuesday, including 245 local cases, raising the total caseload to 29,311. This was the first time in 81 days since Aug. 29 for new daily cases to reach over 300.
Epidemiologists predict that the sharp increase in confirmed cases is the beginning of the third wave, following the first one centered on Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province between February and March, and the second one centered on the Seoul metropolitan area between August and September.
“The third wave is just around the corner,” said Choi Won-seok, a professor at Korea University's Ansan Hospital. “The number of patients is rapidly increasing, and we believe it is likely to increase further.”
Jacob Lee, a professor at Hallym University's Gangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, said, the third epidemic already started three weeks ago.
“The government's move to raise the level of social distancing guidelines was a belated response. Public vigilance has already been loosened, so the number of virus cases, or the increasing trend, will not easily abate,” Lee said.
Some pointed out that raising social distancing guidelines from Level 1 to Level 1.5 in the metropolitan area was insufficient.
“It has become clear that the virus infections decrease when the distancing level is tightened and vice versa. But the current level of 1.5 is even lower than before,” Choi said. “In terms of season, it is natural for the number of patients to increase because the coronavirus is more active in winter but the quarantine level is looser than before. Level 1.5 is unlikely to curb people's activities much.”
Kim Woo-joo, a professor at Korea University's Guro Hospital, said, “It is the beginning of winter, and the scale of this epidemic during this season can be different from that of last February and August.
“We need to make bold moves by increasing the level of distancing further,” Kim said.
Business operators and people are required to follow toughened public health regulations under Level 1.5, but people are still allowed to carry on with most of their daily routines.
Under Level 1.5, facilities with a higher risk of infection, such as bars, clubs and indoor concert halls, are required to adopt stricter quarantine measures, such as keeping a distance between tables and setting up partitions.
The government has decided to upgrade the social distancing level in the metropolitan area, Gwangju, and some regions of Gangwon Province in order to curb the spread, but the KCDA has been struggling with continuous infection clusters from private gatherings, public facilities and hospitals.
Among the locally transmitted cases, 91 were reported in Seoul, 81 in Gyeonggi Province and nine in Incheon. Two additional deaths were reported, raising the total death toll to 496, with a fatality rate of 1.69 percent.