Authorities "Concerns Over Infection Spread as Daily Life Resumes After School Opening and Holidays"

On the morning of the 23rd, citizens visiting the temporary COVID-19 screening site set up at Guro Station Plaza in Seoul are waiting for their turn to be tested.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Health authorities have warned of the spread of infections within communities following the start of the school term and the end of the vacation season.

On the 23rd, Bae Gyeong-taek, Head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Task Force Situation Team, stated at the regular COVID-19 briefing, "There is a possibility that infections within communities will intensify due to the return to daily life after last week's school openings and vacations," adding, "With increased contact frequency among students due to school reopening and considering the recent high infection rates and asymptomatic cases among young people, strict adherence to quarantine guidelines is necessary."

He further urged that to prevent the spread of infection, students and teachers must "wear masks mandatorily inside schools and thoroughly maintain ventilation records through frequent ventilation and checklists."

Regarding the return from vacations, he said, "Symptomatic individuals must undergo testing, and even those without symptoms should confirm their infection status at temporary screening clinics set up at highway rest areas and KTX stations to preemptively block transmission within communities."

Meanwhile, he also cautioned about recent 'smishing' incidents where scammers impersonate the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) to request personal and financial information under the guise of issuing vaccination certificates.

Bae stated, "The KDCA does not request any personal information except through the pre-booking system," and added, "Electronic vaccination certificates must be downloaded directly by the individual from app stores, and the KDCA does not send separate access URLs." He also noted that text messages are "only sent from 1339 or KDCA phone numbers and never from numbers starting with '010'."

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