Even with increased measures... small-scale spread is hard to contain

200 New COVID-19 Cases Daily for Three Consecutive Days
Reviewing Upgrade to Social Distancing Level 1.5

[Asia Economy Reporters Seo So-jeong, Choi Dae-yeol, Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] On the 16th, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea exceeded 200 for the third consecutive day, reaching 223. This is the highest number in 75 days since September 2nd, when 267 new cases were recorded.

In the metropolitan area, confirmed cases are rapidly increasing, and if this trend is not curbed, it is expected that the social distancing level will be raised to 1.5 this weekend. The Ministry of National Defense also held an emergency meeting of key commanders and raised the social distancing level to 1.5 in the metropolitan and Gangwon regions.

According to the quarantine authorities on this day, currently, Cheonan and Asan in Chungnam, Wonju in Gangwon, and Suncheon, Gwangyang, and Yeosu in Jeonnam have been raised to level 1.5. To raise the level to 1.5, the daily average number of new domestic cases over one week must exceed 100. From the 10th to this day, the metropolitan area recorded an average of 99.4 cases per day, nearly reaching the standard of 100. In the Gangwon region, the daily average number of confirmed cases over the same period was 13.9, already exceeding the 1.5 level threshold of 10.

On the 16th, as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection continues to rise in the 200s for the third consecutive day, citizens visiting the screening clinic set up at the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, are waiting for their tests. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Transmission Trend in Small Gatherings Among Family and Acquaintances
Limited Effectiveness Even with Enhanced Facility Quarantine

The quarantine authorities are actively considering raising the social distancing level as the outbreak has spread nationwide and the blocking of infection chains has been delayed. This is a step further than the 'consideration of raising distancing levels' until last week. The problem is that the recent outbreak pattern is progressing in a way that it is not easy to curb the increasing trend even if the distancing level is raised. In the past, when sporadic cluster infections occurred, even if the distancing level was raised, it took considerable time for quarantine measures such as contact tracing and blocking infection sources to take effect and for the actual number of patients to decrease.

There is a consensus inside and outside the quarantine authorities that proactive measures are necessary, but since the recent spread of infections in daily life is unprecedented, they are carefully considering the situation. Park Neung-hoo, the first head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH), appealed to the public the day before, saying, "If we fail to curb the current increase, raising the distancing level is inevitable," and added, "As we have already experienced, it causes great difficulties to the daily lives of the people and the economy of ordinary citizens, so please work together to suppress the spread at level 1 without raising the level."

On this day, the Ministry of National Defense also held an emergency meeting chaired by Minister of National Defense Seo Wook and raised the social distancing level to 1.5 in the metropolitan and Gangwon regions. For officers in the Gangwon region, social distancing level 2 was applied. Officers in Gangwon units are also restricted from going out, dining together, and private gatherings. The period is from the 17th to the 29th. According to the military distancing guidelines, soldiers in the affected areas can take leave or go out under the condition of complying with quarantine rules as before, but leave for soldiers in areas where cluster infections have occurred is recommended to be postponed under the judgment of on-site commanders.

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