Government to Announce Extension of 'Metropolitan Area Quarantine Strengthening' Before Weekend (Update)

Citizens who visited the screening clinic set up at Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul on the 10th are waiting to be tested as health authorities continue testing contacts, including students, after a Gangnam Daeseong Academy employee was confirmed positive for COVID-19. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The government plans to announce this weekend whether to extend the 'Metropolitan Area Quarantine Strengthening Measures' scheduled until the 14th.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine team, said at a regular briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong on the 11th, "We are currently discussing additional measures," and added, "We plan to announce it before Sunday, the 14th."

As confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) surged in the metropolitan area, the government has been implementing quarantine strengthening measures equivalent to 'social distancing' in the metropolitan area only since the 29th of last month, including suspension of public facility operations and refraining from operating high-risk facilities.

The 'Nth infection' that started from Itaewon clubs, the Coupang logistics center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, and pioneer churches in the metropolitan area has spread, causing a rapid increase in new cases in the metropolitan area.

Yoon explained, "Looking at the trend of new confirmed cases over the past two weeks, 88% of local cases occurred in the metropolitan area," and "especially since June, about 97% of local cases have occurred in the metropolitan area."

He added, "Due to the rapid transmission speed and spread, contact tracing alone has limitations in slowing down the transmission speed," and urged, "Please cancel non-essential gatherings or appointments and avoid using facilities where close contact occurs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.