Health Authorities "No Discussion Yet on Raising Social Distancing"... Busan to Enter 'Level 2' from Tomorrow

Simultaneous Increase in Confirmed Cases in the Capital Region and Non-Capital Regions

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] On the 1st, as the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases recorded over 500 for two consecutive days, health authorities stated that they are not yet discussing raising the social distancing level. However, since confirmed cases are significantly increasing in some non-metropolitan areas, local governments plan to consider upgrading measures individually.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) quarantine team, said at a briefing, "There is no concrete discussion yet about raising the social distancing level," adding, "Since the current social distancing level will be maintained until next week, we will discuss it while monitoring the situation this week." However, adjustments are being discussed for some local governments. Yoon said, "Busan will raise its level to 2, the same as the metropolitan area, starting tomorrow," and added, "We are consulting mainly with basic local governments where many cases are occurring."

As of midnight on the day, 551 new COVID-19 cases were reported. Following 506 cases the previous day, the number remained in the 500s for two consecutive days, with 537 cases occurring locally. Notably, confirmed cases in non-metropolitan areas account for around 40%, showing a sharp increase.

Son Young-rae, head of the CDSCH social strategy team, explained, "New cases have increased simultaneously in both metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, with Gyeongnam, Daejeon, and the Chungcheong region each reporting over 50 cases," adding, "However, medical response capacity is still considered adequate."

Regarding the recent spread, Yoon said, "The amount of movement itself has increased, and fatigue toward COVID-19 response is rising," adding, "There is also some impact related to the transmission of variant viruses, so the recent increase in cases is seen as a complex result." He continued, "Although there is fatigue among quarantine personnel, there was a discussion at today's (1st) CDSCH meeting about making an all-out effort in quarantine management."

When asked whether the increase in confirmed cases in non-metropolitan areas is influenced by variant viruses, he said, "There are parts where variant viruses have appeared in some regions, but I do not think they are the main driving factor of the overall spread," adding, "However, since there is a possibility of continued spread, we are monitoring the situation."

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