Maintain Level 4? Stronger Measures?…Government Says "Metropolitan Area Spread Stabilized, Need to Watch This Week's Trend"

Spread slows down to stagnation... "Not a situation to be reassured"

On the 2nd, as 1,219 new COVID-19 cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to over 200,000, citizens waiting to get tested are seen at a temporary screening clinic set up at Sinchon Station on the Gyeongui Line in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The quarantine authorities recently stated that although the COVID-19 outbreak situation has shifted from a spreading phase to a stagnant phase, it is not yet a situation to be relieved. They said, "We will monitor the trends of confirmed cases' infection routes and cluster outbreaks until Thursday and Friday this week."

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at the COVID-19 back briefing on the 2nd, "The stagnation of the rapidly progressing COVID-19 outbreak in the metropolitan area is a meaningful achievement," adding, "However, it is still difficult to know whether the stagnation will turn into a decline, so we need to observe the trends this week."

He continued, "In the metropolitan area, the weekly daily average number of patients was 996 three weeks ago, 966 two weeks ago, and 960 last week, showing stagnation for two weeks," and added, "Unless there is a clear reversal to a decline, the high number in the high 900s is significant, and if quarantine vigilance is relaxed, there is always a risk of re-spread, so we do not consider this a situation to be relieved."

Currently, social distancing level 4 is applied in the metropolitan area, and level 3 in non-metropolitan areas. This measure will end on the 8th, and the authorities must announce the adjusted distancing plan to be applied from the 9th within this week. The timing of the announcement has not yet been decided. However, since large-scale patient occurrences are still continuing, making it difficult to say that the spread of the 4th wave has been contained, the authorities are cautious about adjustments, so the adjustment plan is expected to be announced in the latter half of the week.

Meanwhile, regarding the outbreak situation in non-metropolitan areas, Head Son said, "(Confirmed cases) continue to show an increasing trend, but the rate of increase itself is decreasing," and added, "By observing this week's situation, it will be possible to clearly see whether the goal of blocking the spread of the outbreak can be achieved."