UPDATE : Monday, September 7, 2020
상단여백
HOME Policy
New virus cases near 300; social distancing upgraded to 2nd level
  • By Shim Hyun-tai
  • Published 2020.08.16 12:14
  • Updated 2020.08.18 13:08
  • comments 0

Korea’s new Covid-19 cases approached 300 on Sunday as local transmission reached the highest number since late March amid expanding church-linked cluster infections in Seoul and surrounding Gyeonggi Province.

The nation reported 279 new virus cases – 267 local infections and 12 foreign arrivals -- raising the cumulative caseload to 15,318 as of midnight Saturday. The daily tally of near 300 is similar to the massive outbreaks in Daegu and neighboring North Gyeongsang Province in early March.

Nine more people recovered, pushing the number of cured patients to 13,910, with 1,103 receiving treatment, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. The death toll remained at 305 as no one died of Covid-19 on Saturday. The nation has tested 1,681,787 suspected patients since Jan. 3.

Of the 267 local cases, 245 patients were infected in the greater Seoul area, including the western port city of Incheon, seven in Gwangju, six in Busan, five in North Chungcheong Province, and one in Daegu, Ulsan, North Chungcheong Province and South Gyeongsang Province.

Recently, the number of new virus causes ranged between 20 and 40, but the ongoing explosion is due mainly to the cluster infections originating in churches, which later spread to various other facilities.

The first mass outbreaks in the southeastern region were triggered by a new Christian sect of the Shincheonji Church. Now, the main culprits are smaller churches in Seoul and its vicinity, according to epidemiological experts.

According to the KCDC, the number of cases related to a church in Seoul reached 134 on Saturday. It also confirmed 33 more Covid-19 patients from a church in Yongin, Gyeonggi province, increasing the cumulative casload of infected patients to 105.

The virus is also spreading widely to various facilities, including fast food stores, investment firms, offices, schools, cafes and traditional outdoor markets.

The government raised the social distancing in the Seoul metro region to the second level from Sunday to prevent infections in the capital areas from spreading to the rest of the country.

Under Level 2 social distancing guidelines, public facilities, including libraries, galleries and museums, will be maintained at 50 percent capacity in terms of allowed visitors. Welfare and childcare centers will be advised to suspend operations.

Large gatherings, such as local festivals or trade fairs, with estimated attendees of more than 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors will either be banned or postponed.

Schools are required to have both remote learning and in-person classes, and sporting events are to revert back to crowdless matches.

Private businesses designated as high-risk facilities, such as bars, karaoke businesses, indoor gyms, concert halls, logistics centers, "hagwon," or cram schools, with more than 300 people, and buffet restaurants, will be allowed to operate but only under strict quarantine measures. Regular cafes and restaurants will be allowed to operate as well.

Internet cafes and buffets at wedding venues will also be included in the high-risk group starting Wednesday. High-risk businesses could face closure if the virus situation does not show signs of improvement within the next two weeks.

Companies, both public and private, must also allow flexible working options, such as remote working, to reduce the density of people at workplaces.

The number of imported cases on Sunday remained close to that of the previous day. Among the 12 foreign inflows, four were from India, two from Pakistan, and one from Japan, Kazakhstan, France, the United States, and Kenya.

shim531@docdocdoc.co.kr

<© Korea Biomedical Review, All rights reserved.>

Other articles by Shim Hyun-tai
iconMost viewed
Comments 0
More
Please leave the first comment.
여백
여백
여백
Back to Top