GOVERNMENT TO NOT RAISE SOCIAL DISTANCING LEVEL

[Anchor Lead]

As the local governments of Gwangju city and Jeollanam-do Province have upgraded their social distancing to a higher level in response to the spike in coronavirus infections, there are opinions stressing the need for the central government to take similar moves nationwide.

[Pkg]

New COVID-19 cases increased by a daily average of 47 during the recent two weeks. Some 60 new infections were reported daily for three straight days, leading to forecasts that the daily average could top 50 if the trend goes unchecked. The government is assessing the current situation as serious, noting that infection routes cannot not be traced for about ten percent of the cases.

[Soundbite] PARK NEUNG-HOO(MINISTER OF HEALTH AND WELFARE) : "Overall, we are blocking large-scale spreads and doing our utmost to curb the repeated emergence of new infection clusters."

But the government is maintaining the stance that there is no need to upgrade social distancing to level two across the nation. Although new cases increased at an overall average of nearly 50 each day, the number of locally transmitted infections grew by 31.1 over the recent two weeks. Down from 36.8 during the same period two weeks earlier. Imported cases have not spread to local communities, since they were identified through detections at the airport. Despite some local governments upgrading their social distancing to a higher level, the central government dismissed the need to do so nationwide. However, some experts disagree.

[Soundbite] LEE JAE-GAP(PROF., HALLYM UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER) : "Because South Korea is a small country and local communities are closely connected, in this situation, we need a synchronized, nationwide plan."

Quarantine authorities stressed COVID-19 is not spreading faster due to mutations. Rather, the virus appears to be spreading faster as tests to comfirm new infections are conducted more speedily.