Despite Eased Distancing, Risk of Massive Spread Remains... "Raise Alert Level if Crisis Occurs"

COVID-19 Cases Remain in the 300s for Third Day
New Infections Linked to Hospitals Continue
Concerns Over Spread Due to Holiday Travel

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] As 'social distancing' was lowered to level 2 in the metropolitan area and level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas starting from the 15th, the scope of daily activities has expanded. Indoor facilities such as entertainment establishments and GX, which were subject to closure orders, have resumed operations, and direct family members can gather even if there are more than five people, reflecting the easing of distancing measures.

However, concerns remain as the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases still hovers in the 300s, and cluster infections in metropolitan hospitals continue, raising the possibility that a large-scale outbreak could flare up at any time.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on this day, there were 344 confirmed COVID-19 cases, marking the third consecutive day with cases in the 300s. Of these, 323 were locally transmitted and 21 were imported. Among them, 255 cases were in the metropolitan area, accounting for 78.9% of all locally transmitted cases.

In particular, new infections originating from hospitals continue. At Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 87 people have been confirmed in a cluster so far, and the cumulative confirmed cases at Hanyang University Hospital in Seongdong-gu have exceeded 100.

Testing numbers decreased during the Seol holiday period compared to weekdays, and considering that confirmed cases typically increase starting Wednesday, it is too early to be complacent. On this day, Kwon Deok-cheol, the 1st Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), stated, "The current quarantine situation we face is by no means a situation to be reassured about," adding, "If the tension regarding quarantine is relaxed just because the distancing level has been lowered, COVID-19 will return to a spreading trend."

On the 15th, citizens who visited the temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza, where COVID-19 cluster infections are occurring mainly in the metropolitan area, are lining up to get tested. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

There are also concerns about the spread of infection due to movement during the Seol holiday. The average daily number of domestically transmitted confirmed cases during the Seol holiday period (February 11?14) was 375, approaching the 400 cases threshold for raising the level to 2.5. Since a significant number of confirmed cases occur in the densely populated metropolitan area, it is considered premature to loosen quarantine measures.

The reproduction number, an indicator showing how many people one infected person infects, has exceeded 1. According to the Central Disaster Management Headquarters, the reproduction number in the metropolitan area, including Seoul and Gyeonggi, was 1.06 during the recent week from the 7th to the 13th. The nationwide reproduction number, which had fallen below 1 last month, has also risen close to 1 again.

The proportion of patients whose infection source is unknown is also increasing. The rate of cases with unclear infection routes rose from 22.2% in mid-last month to 27% in early this month. Variant virus infections are also a variable. With six new cases of the UK variant added the previous day, the total number of confirmed variant virus infections in the country reached 94.

Experts advise that, given the easing of distancing measures, the situation over the next two weeks should be closely monitored to adjust the intensity of quarantine accordingly. Professor Jung Jae-hoon of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Gachon University College of Medicine said, "It is important to ease distancing measures slowly when relaxing them, but this time they were lifted simultaneously, which may send the wrong signal to the public," adding, "If the number of confirmed cases rises to the 500s or if a nationwide outbreak trend appears, the level should be raised quickly without hesitation."

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