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| People stand in line to get COVID-19 tests at a temporary screening station in front of Seoul Station, Wednesday. Yonhap |
By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea is seeing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases after the Lunar New Year holiday, with mass infection clusters emerging nationwide.
Concerns are rising that another big outbreak could hit the country after eased social distancing rules were applied from Monday, following the holiday. The situation is likely to cause a setback to the government's plan to present new social distancing guidelines from March aimed at minimizing forcible measures such as business operation bans
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Wednesday, the country added 621 more COVID-19 cases, including 590 local infections, for Tuesday, raising the cumulative total to 84,946.
The daily caseload was a large increase from the 457 the day before, and also the highest in 38 days since Jan. 10 when 657 cases were reported.
The authorities remain vigilant as a series of group infections have taken place at religious facilities, hospitals and industrial complexes.
Adding to the concerns is the eased social distancing rules that went into effect. Seoul and the surrounding area are at Level 2, the third highest in a five-tier system, down from Level 2.5, while other outside areas are under Level 1.5, down from 2.
Under the adjusted rules, restaurants, coffee shops, gyms, nightclubs and bars in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province are allowed to open until 10 p.m.
The health authorities believe the current increasing trend is serious and could possibly lead to another wave of infections, especially when they are planning to revise the current distancing levels to focus on minimizing forcible measures such as bans on gatherings and business operations.
"The pandemic is not over yet, and some experts are warning of the possibility of a fourth wave between March and April. We cannot relax," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said in a regular Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting, Wednesday.
As to the plan for more autonomy-focused social distancing guidelines, Sohn Young-rae, a senior health official, said, "If infections expand, we may have to consider strictly implementing the existing measures."
The increasing daily caseload has also prompted concerns over in-person school opening ahead of the new semester in March.
At the end of last month, the education ministry announced young students including kindergarteners, and first and second graders at elementary school were expected to go to classes every day. If the infection grows, the plan could be also changed.
Some infectious disease experts say that the fallout from the holidays could begin in earnest later this week, further pushing up the daily new case numbers.
"The daily new caseload will continue to increase for the time being because of the eased distancing rules," said Chon Eun-mi, a professor at the Department of Pulmonology of Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital.
"If more than 500 new cases are reported every day, it will be difficult for students in the lower grades to go to school everyday," Chon said.
