Seoul City Strengthens Movement Restrictions... No Extension of Last Public Transport Service
46 Temporary Screening Clinics Operated During Seol Holiday
On the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the 11th, citizens are getting tested at a temporary COVID-19 screening site set up at Seoul Station Plaza. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that as of midnight that day, there were 504 new domestic COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 82,434. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The number of new COVID-19 cases in Seoul, which had once dropped below 100, is now approaching the 200 mark due to the impact of small-scale cluster infections. The quarantine measures, which seemed to be stably managed thanks to citizens' voluntary participation and the government's stringent social distancing measures ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, have once again become unstable.
According to Seoul City on the 11th, as of midnight, the number of new COVID-19 cases on the 10th was recorded at 183. Although the number of new cases dropped to 90 on the 8th, raising expectations for easing social distancing, the numbers rose again to 175 on the 9th and 183 on the 10th, indicating a worsening situation.
Among the 183 new cases, 177 were domestic infections and 6 were imported cases. Of the domestic infections, 44 were confirmed through anonymous testing at temporary screening clinics.
The daily new case count of 183 is the highest this month since 188 cases on the 2nd. The daily new cases this month have fluctuated widely: 128→188→172→126→143→144→112→90→175→183, making it difficult to predict the trend.
The number of daily tests is on the rise. The daily test count was 31,639 on the 8th, increasing to 33,140 on the 9th and 34,978 on the 10th, nearing 35,000. Recently, the number of tests has exceeded the average daily test count by about 10,000 since the beginning of this year. This means the possibility of a continuous increase in new cases cannot be ruled out.
Small-scale cluster infections are a major factor driving up the number of new cases. Transmission related to a gathering of acquaintances in Yongsan-gu added 6 new cases the previous day, bringing the total to 46. The new cases that started from the gathering spread to churches, families, and daycare centers. Two additional cases were confirmed related to a sauna in Gangbuk-gu, and one case each was added in cluster infections at the Seoul Station homeless support facility, Hanyang University Hospital in Seongdong-gu, and a call center in Jung-gu.
Seoul City Focuses on Reducing Movement and Disinfecting Transportation During Lunar New Year Holiday
Seoul City will focus on reducing citizens' movement and disinfecting transportation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during this Lunar New Year holiday and will not extend the last train times for public transportation. In line with the government's designation of a special quarantine period during the Lunar New Year holiday to encourage reduced travel, Seoul City will not implement extended last train times or increase bus routes passing through municipal cemeteries as done in previous holidays. Public transportation will operate at usual holiday levels.
For terminals expected to see inflow from other regions, disinfection and sterilization have been strengthened to ensure safe use, and staff and crew have been pre-educated on infection prevention and emergency response procedures. Additionally, fever detectors and isolation rooms have been installed within terminals to immediately isolate suspected cases.
Furthermore, disinfection personnel will be concentrated at eight major subway stations where inflow via other transportation means such as KTX is possible, enhancing disinfection efforts. Disinfection and sterilization will be conducted regularly not only inside and outside subway and bus vehicles but also at bus stops, card issuance machines, elevators, and other station facilities.
Seoul City Operates 46 Temporary Screening Clinics During Lunar New Year Holiday
Forty-six temporary screening clinics will also be operated. This measure aims to proactively respond without blind spots in testing even during the holiday when family contact is frequent.
Temporary screening clinics will be operated at major crowded locations such as Seoul Station, Yongsan Station, and Express Bus Terminal to enhance testing accessibility. However, due to the nature of the holiday and onsite conditions such as medical staff availability, operating periods and hours vary by clinic, so prior confirmation is necessary. Locations and operating hours of nearby temporary screening clinics can be found on the Seoul City website, by calling 120, or by searching for temporary screening clinics on Naver Map or KakaoMap.
In addition to temporary screening clinics, screening clinics established at each district health center will continue to operate during the Lunar New Year holiday. Acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyeop said, "Even during the holiday, please comply with the ban on private gatherings of five or more people and refrain from travel and movement so that a stable decline can be achieved after the Lunar New Year."
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