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| People queue up for COVID-19 tests at Korea University Anam Hospital in Seoul, Monday. Eight cases have been confirmed involving members of an ice hockey club of the university. Yonhap |
By Kim Rahn
The health authorities are highly likely to raise their social distancing guidelines level as the number of daily new COVID-19 infections has been above 200 for three consecutive days. They also forecast the number could rise to 300 to 400 within a month.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Monday, 223 new virus cases were confirmed for Sunday, raising the total caseload to 28,769.
This was the ninth consecutive day that the country has had triple-digit daily infections, and the third day for the number to exceed 200. Sunday's figure was also the highest since Sept. 2.
The daily number is usually smaller for Saturday and Sunday than weekdays as fewer people take tests on weekends. So the larger numbers are raising concerns that figures for the next several days could be much higher than those of last week.
Among the 223 new cases, 193 were local. Most of the recent cases have not involved mass gatherings such as religious facilities or demonstrations, but arose from small groups involving family gatherings, cafes, subway stations and saunas.
KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong said that experts forecast that daily new infections may reach 300 to 400 in two to four weeks if the current pace continues.
"Year-end gatherings, the cold weather and growing asymptomatic infections are raising the risk of a nationwide spread of the virus," Jeong said in a briefing.
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said Korea is at an important crossroads for raising social distancing levels. Currently almost all parts of the nation are under Level 1 except for several municipalities that applied their own preemptive regulations of Level 1.5, including Cheonan and Asan in South Chungcheong Province, Wonju in Gangwon Province and Yeosu in South Jeolla Province.
Under the newly introduced five-tier system, the central government raises the level to 1.5 when the daily average cases in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area surpass 100 for a week. Under Level 1.5, nonessential gatherings and the operation of multiuse facilities are restricted ― such as restaurants and bars being subject to stricter distancing rules, and schools limiting the attendance cap to two-thirds of the total student body.
The authorities issued a "preliminary warning" Sunday for Seoul, the surrounding areas and Gangwon Province for a potential raising of the social distancing level.
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| Health Minister Park Neung-hoo speaks in a meeting with health officials at Government Complex Sejong, Monday. Yonhap |
Calling on citizens to abide by quarantine rules, Park said, "Please wear face masks properly anytime, anywhere and avoid gatherings involving eating or drinking where participants will have to take off masks."
In a preemptive measure, the defense ministry decided to toughen its own social distancing rules for military units in the capital region and Gangwon Province, for two weeks starting Tuesday. Under the toughened rules, service members will be recommended to delay their leave and ordered to minimize events, business trips and meetings. Officers in Gangwon have been be ordered to stay home after work.
