Average Daily COVID Cases 67 in Past 2 Weeks... "Social Distancing Level to Be Decided This Week" (Update)

Yoon Tae-ho "Unlike after the August holidays, rapid spread is unlikely to occur"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] The average daily number of new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients over the past two weeks was 66.5, showing a significant decrease compared to the average daily number of 121 patients in the previous two weeks.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine team, stated at the regular briefing on the 5th, "The number of domestic cases is continuously decreasing nationwide," adding, "During the Chuseok holiday last week, the average daily number was 57.4, continuing the downward trend."

Due to the government's recommendation to refrain from movement, the average daily number of people moving during the special measures period from September 29 to October 4 decreased by 19.3% compared to last year's Chuseok holiday. The average daily traffic volume on highways decreased by 13.8% year-on-year, and congestion on the outbound and return routes was at the usual weekend level. Due to seat sale restrictions, the number of railway and express bus passengers decreased by 57% and 55%, respectively, compared to the previous year. Air passengers increased by 1.2% compared to the previous year due to an increase in travelers during the holiday period.

The quarantine authorities expect that the impact of reduced testing volume and increased nationwide movement during the holiday period will begin to appear fully this week, so it is necessary to monitor the trend until then.

Yoon said, "The proportion of cases under investigation for infection routes remains around 19%, and cluster infections continue in vulnerable facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes," adding, "It is still too early to assess that COVID-19 has definitely entered a stable phase." However, considering the nationwide social distancing efforts during this Chuseok holiday, a rapid spread unlike after the August holiday is not expected.

Yoon added, "The government plans to decide within this week how to adjust the social distancing levels after the special quarantine period ends, taking into account not only the epidemic trends and risks but also social conditions comprehensively."

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