"New Cases Below 50 for Two Consecutive Days, a Positive Sign... But No Room for Complacency" (Update)

Yoon Tae-ho, Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' Quarantine General Team [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The government evaluated the fact that the number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea remained below 50 for two consecutive days as a "positive sign," attributing it to the public's cooperation with the strengthened social distancing measures. However, it also reminded that it is not yet a situation to be complacent about.

Yoon Tae-ho, the head of the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine team, said at a regular briefing on the morning of the 7th, "Following yesterday, the number of new confirmed cases today is also below 50, which we consider a positive sign," adding, "This was possible because the public actively participated in the strengthened social distancing measures for more than two weeks to suppress the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible, and because medical staff treated confirmed patients stably according to the severity of their conditions."

As of midnight on the day, the number of new confirmed cases in the country was 47, the same as the previous day. The cumulative number of confirmed cases is 10,331. Yoon said, "Although we need to observe the trend further, today's achievement is a small joy that we can all celebrate and encourage together." However, he also urged, "The risk of COVID-19 spreading still remains," and requested, "Please put in a little more effort and actively participate in the strengthened social distancing measures."