Will 'Halloween Day' Trigger an Increase in Confirmed Cases? "Strict Quarantine Management Required"

On the 31st, one day before the implementation of the first phase of "Step-by-step Daily Recovery (With Corona)," the streets of Myeongdong, Seoul, are bustling with citizens. Starting tomorrow, up to 10 people can gather in the metropolitan area, and up to 12 people in non-metropolitan areas. Most facilities, including restaurants and cafes, will have their operating restrictions lifted, allowing 24-hour operation. However, in restaurants and cafes, only up to four unvaccinated people can gather. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] On the 31st, a day before the implementation of 'gradual daily recovery (With Corona),' crowds gathered in bustling areas such as Itaewon, Gangnam, and Hongdae in Seoul to celebrate 'Halloween Day,' raising concerns about quarantine measures.

Although the number of new COVID-19 cases decreased due to a reduction in testing over the weekend and holidays, there is a high possibility of a sharp increase in confirmed cases once weekday testing intensifies and the effects of gradual daily recovery take hold.

On the 31st, the last day that 'social distancing' measures were maintained and also Halloween Day, a large number of young people gathered mainly in Seoul's busy districts, creating a festive atmosphere. According to the police, the crowd gathered at major streets in Itaewon the previous day was estimated at 80,000 people.

During the Halloween 'peak season,' numerous violations of quarantine rules were detected and fined. On the 29th alone, 272 people were fined for violating quarantine rules in seven cases in Seoul.

In Itaewon, a general restaurant operating essentially as a club was caught operating past 10 p.m., and in Gangnam, an unauthorized club was caught violating the ban on gatherings.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The quarantine authorities expressed concern that Halloween Day could trigger an increase in confirmed cases.

Jeon Hae-cheol, the 2nd Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety), stated at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting that day, "The government and local governments are implementing special quarantine management measures, including joint patrol inspections by related agencies focusing on areas densely populated by foreigners and frequently visited locations (October 27 to November 2), along with campaigns to encourage restraint in gatherings," and emphasized, "We will strictly take action against foreigners who violate quarantine rules in accordance with relevant laws and regulations."

Deputy Head Jeon expressed concern, saying, "The average daily number of confirmed cases over the past week was 1,829, an increase of about 34% compared to the previous week," and "There have been large-scale cluster infections in hospitals in the Gyeongnam region, as well as various cluster infection cases across different regions."

He added, "The increase in infection risk factors such as expanded personal contact due to the implementation of daily recovery, increased private gatherings during the year-end and New Year holidays, and enclosed environments during the winter season are also concerning," and said, "Thorough quarantine management is essential for the stable and sustainable implementation of gradual daily recovery."

Regarding vaccination, Deputy Head Jeon said, "The proportion of people who have completed vaccination has exceeded 75% (75.3%) of the total population and stands at about 87.6% among adults aged 18 and over," and emphasized, "We will do our best to ensure that more than 80% of the total population is vaccinated as soon as possible to achieve a stable implementation of gradual daily recovery."

Deputy Head Jeon also stated, "From early November, we will operate the COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Committee (tentative name), which will be responsible for investigating, analyzing adverse reactions, and reviewing safety, and we will add vaccine-related private experts to the 'Vaccination Damage Compensation Expert Committee' to enhance expertise and independence."

He added, "Centered on the secretariat of the newly launched Daily Recovery Support Committee, we will check the implementation status of the current plan and continuously discover and improve additional tasks to reach a more stable level of daily recovery."

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