Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans have planned to travel during the major holiday season in late April and early May. South Korean health officials have warned the disease could flare up anytime through infected people. no symptoms.
According to Yonhap News Agency, hundreds of Koreans will flock to tourist destinations and national forests during Buddha's Birthday (April 30) and Children's Day (5-5). In particular, an estimated 180,000 Koreans visit Jeju Island, famous for its beaches and volcanoes.
After 4 weeks of strict social-gap measures, South Korea appears to have successfully controlled the epidemic. The number of new infections has always been below 15 in the last 8 consecutive days.
Last weekend, the South Korean government relaxed some of the social restraint measures, which allowed places like churches and gyms to be reopened with the condition of ensuring people-to-people gaps. .
This made many Koreans subjective that the epidemic was over, even though the social separation requirements until May 5 expired.
"In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most dangerous thing is that the views are about to loosen social distance. The increase in outdoor activities could become an opportunity for the new strain of corona virus to spread." spread because we still don't have the vaccine, "South Korean Deputy Health Minister Kim Ganglip argued in an interview with Yonhap news agency on April 25.
Living in a park in Seoul - Photo: REUTERS
South Korean officials have repeatedly warned that a new wave of infection could come at any time by asymptomatic infected people. The South Korean government on April 24 issued a plan to return to normal life within two years of the pandemic.
"Some experts predict that COVID-19 will last for two years and we have to accept the fact that we cannot return to life before COVID-19 during that time," Kim explained.
In addition to asking people to wash their hands and keep distance, the Korean government also provides specific advice for people on how to walk, eat in public places and restaurants, and how to arrange tables and chairs. for the reasonable.
Jeong Eun Kyeong, director of the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that if people lose their guard, the strategy to return to normal in 2 years will go bankrupt.
"The biggest danger sign is that people are thinking that the risk of infection is no longer there," Jeong said.
