The number of confirmed cases in South Korea hit a record high for the second day in a row. President Moon Jae-in said that if the epidemic cannot be stopped at this stage, the country needs to consider raising its epidemic prevention level to level 3, which means the country could close down its cities for the first time.
Since the epidemic prevention department of The Republic of Korea (ROK) lowered the COVID-19 epidemic level to level 1 in October, the epidemic situation in the capital region has been surging. Although the government has repeatedly upgraded the epidemic prevention measures, the trend of new confirmed cases in a single day remains unchanged.
Seoul’s level remained at level 1 from mid-October to mid-November, setting the stage for a future surge. The epidemic prevention department began to implement a new version of the epidemic prevention classification standard on November 7, and The city of Seoul maintained level 1 (domestic epidemic prevention), further reducing the intensity of epidemic prevention.
Since then, the number of new cases on a daily basis has increased several times. Although the government raised the epidemic prevention level of Seoul to 1.5, 2 and enhanced 2 on November 19, 24 and December 1 respectively, it was not enough to contain the epidemic surge. The level 2.5 measures currently in place have not been effective either.
South Korea reported 1,030 new confirmed cases today, setting a new single-day record for the second straight day. Of the new cases, 1,002 were indigenous. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said 42,766 people in the country had been diagnosed and 580 had died.
Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-ming said today he would seek urgent measures to mobilise private university dormitories to accommodate new confirmed cases.
In his first such plan, Lee announced on Twitter, he will mobilize private institutions to respond to the public health crisis, as hospital beds and other facilities in Gyeonggi province are insufficient to treat the growing number of confirmed patients.
Gyeonggi province earlier today submitted a document to Kyonggi University in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, asking for cooperation. Gyeonggi province reported 328 new cases today, while South Korea reported 1,030 new cases today.
According to yonhap news agency, Moon jae-in held an emergency meeting at the central government office in Seoul today and said that if the epidemic cannot be contained at this stage, the level should be raised to level 3, and the central Disaster safety response Department should decisively raise the level if necessary.
South Korea’s capital region is currently at level 2.5, but a move to level 3 would mean a nationwide lockdown for the first time in Asia’s fourth-largest economy. Schools will move to distance learning, work from home for non-essential staff, and prohibit gatherings of more than 10 people.
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