Geochang-gun, May Family Month ... Requests to Refrain from Visiting Hometown and Traveling

Concerns Over COVID-19 Spread Due to Increased Hometown Visits and Travel

Geochang County Office building exterior view

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Geochang-gun, Gyeongnam Province, has urged residents to refrain from visiting their hometowns and traveling as much as possible to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) during May, the month of family.

The county made this decision as the nationwide spread of COVID-19 has not been decreasing recently. The main sources of infection are family and acquaintances' gatherings and visits to other regions, making it very important to refrain from meetings and travel.

In particular, May is the month of family, with Children's Day on the 5th, Parents' Day on the 8th, and Teachers' Day on the 15th occurring consecutively, leading to more frequent family meetings and outdoor activities than usual, increasing the risk of infection. Moreover, combined with the current spread of infection, this could potentially trigger a '4th wave' of the pandemic.

To prevent this COVID-19 '4th wave,' the county has requested that instead of visiting hometowns to meet parents and relatives in person, people should replace such visits with phone calls to check on their well-being.

Additionally, travel destinations where many people gather at once pose a high risk of infection, so the county emphasized refraining from travel for the safety of families and communities.

In preparation for the frequent family meetings in May, the county is conducting Pfizer vaccinations for seniors aged 75 and older to manage their health and prevent COVID-19.

As of the 28th, the county has completed the first dose of vaccination for 3,650 people, accounting for 51% of the total target population.

Gu In-mo, the mayor of Geochang-gun, said, “With May being the month of family, many people may want to visit their hometown parents and relatives or go on family trips after a long time apart due to COVID-19, but I earnestly ask you to refrain from visiting your hometown and traveling to other regions for the safety of yourself and your family.”

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