"Large-Scale Spread Being Suppressed but Outbreak Possible Anytime... Halloween Parties Should Be Avoided" (Update)

In Itaewon Street, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, officials from the Itaewon Residents' Autonomy Committee and local residents are conducting disinfection work to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The government has urged people to refrain from large gatherings such as Halloween Day events, expressing concerns about a potential additional wave of COVID-19 infections in South Korea.

Son Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, warned at a regular briefing on the 30th, "Currently, the speed of infection transmission is slightly faster compared to the COVID-19 tracking and suppression situation managed by health authorities," adding, "While rapid large-scale spread is being controlled, there is still a possibility that the outbreak could flare up again anytime and anywhere."

As of midnight on the day, the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country was 114. This marks three consecutive days of triple-digit cases following 103 on the 28th and 125 on the 29th.

Son stated, "The spread of infection remains uncontrolled mainly in the metropolitan area, and overall, the number of confirmed cases is showing an increasing trend compared to last week," and added, "Since the nationwide 'social distancing' level was adjusted to Level 1, social and economic activities have resumed, leading to an overall increase in mobility indicators."

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, mobile phone movement data over the past weekend (24th?25th) showed 36,584,000 cases in the metropolitan area and 75,005,000 cases nationwide, representing increases of 1.9% and 2.8%, respectively, compared to the previous weekend (17th?18th). The combined usage of buses, subways, and taxis in the metropolitan area also rose by about 1.8%, from 22,536,000 on the 17th?18th to 22,943,000 on the 24th?25th.

Moreover, with Halloween Day on the 31st, there is concern that crowds may gather especially in places frequented by young people, prompting the government and health authorities to remain vigilant. Son said, "We plan to conduct thorough inspections of high-risk facilities such as clubs to ensure compliance with key quarantine rules like limiting the number of users and operating hours," and urged, "During Halloween Day, please avoid large-scale parties or events and refrain from entering places where many people gather closely."

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