The number of new coronavirus cases is showing signs of increasing again as the Lunar New Year holidays pass. Group infection was confirmed at a cricket boiler manufacturing plant in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, and family members gathered during the Lunar New Year holidays were also confirmed. Among these, the number of new confirmed cases today (16th) is expected to be in the mid-400 range.
Reporter Kwak Sang-eun reports.
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Covid-19 outbreak was confirmed at a cricket boiler manufacturing plant in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do.
Since the first confirmed on the 13th, 53 people, including workers and families, have been tested positive for Corona 19 so far.
Asan city explained that most of the confirmed cases live in Cheonan, and many foreign workers were included.
If the results of the full-scale inspection of the employees today come out, there is a high possibility of additional confirmed cases.
[오세현/아산시장 : 검사 결과가 나올 때까지 공장 폐쇄를 진행합니다. 추가로 협력업체 직원과 가족 검사를 선제적으로 실시하겠습니다.]
In Busan, during the Lunar New Year holiday, 8 family members met at their parents’ house for 1 night and 2 days, of which 6 were confirmed.
If 5 or more families gather together, you will be subject to penalties such as a fine for violating the quarantine rules.
[이소라/부산시 시민방역추진단장 : 총 포함된 가족은 8명입니다만 몇 분이 한꺼번에 어느 상황에 모였는지에 대해서는 추가 조사를 통해서 5인 이상 사적 모임 금지 위반 여부를 판단할 예정입니다.]
The government expects that the next two weeks will determine whether the infection spreads during the Lunar New Year holidays.
In particular, the spread of the metropolitan area, which accounts for 80% of all confirmed cases, is a variable.
Although the number of inspections during the Lunar New Year holidays decreased to half the level on weekdays, the average number of confirmed cases per day in the metropolitan area increased to 285 per day rather than before the holidays.
The government repeatedly demanded that the quarantine rules be observed, saying that the level of distancing was lowered, but the tension on quarantine should not be slowed down.