17일 만에 100명대...2.5단계 연장 여부 오늘 결정
Our top story this morning.
South Korea added fewer than 2-hundred new COVID-19 cases on Thursday for the first time in 17 days.
All eyes are now on whether the government is going to extend the current level 2-point-5 social distancing measures..., which heavily restricts people's daily lives and activities.
Kim Sung-min reports.
The South Korean government will decide Friday whether to extend the current level 2-point-5 social distancing measures, which were originally due to end this Sunday.
New COVID-19 cases in South Korea have been on a downtrend over the past two weeks, showing the government's strengthened measures are having the desired effect.
"The government's policies like stricter social distancing measures are working well. The effect of the level 2-point-5 social distancing measures will be apparent from the middle of this week."
However, despite the slowing trend, South Korea is not yet completely out of the woods.
One in four COVID-19 patients show no clear route of infection, meaning they could be spreading the virus without even knowing.
There are still cluster infections at various spots like sports facilities and churches.
Most importantly, concerns grow as the Korean Thanksgiving Day holiday, Chuseok, is around the corner.
"There was a spike in the number of infections during the holidays in May and in August so the government will try its best to contain further infections during Chuseok."
Since many people travel around the country during Chuseok, the key goal for the government is to ensure that cases don't surge again during the holiday.
If the government keeps the current level in place longer, restaurants and bars must continue to close early and franchise coffee shops can only offer take-out or delivery services.
Kim Sung-min, Arirang News.
