DAILY CASES SURPASS 400

[Anchor Lead]

The number of new COVID-19 cases has not come down below 400 for six straight days although fewer tests were done over the weekend. Health officials have concluded that sporadic infections occurring in crowded facilities are the cause of continued spread and decided to start testing all employees of public bathhouses today.

[Pkg]

A temporary screening center near Suwon Station in Gyeonggi-do Province. A long line of people are waiting to be tested one day ahead of the deadline for all foreigners in Gyeonggi-do Province.

[Soundbite] Kao Thuan(Vietnamese Worker) : "I can’t get tested because I have to work on weekdays. I have time on the weekend so I got tested. Everyone has to get tested."

But the mass testing of foreigners caused controversy as some felt it was discriminatory.

[Soundbite] Chung Sye-kyun(Prime Minister) : "Having learned a lesson from this, we will be more sensitive to their position and implement more acceptable disease control measures."

Nearly 70% of the new cases were clustered in Seoul and surrounding areas. The total number of new daily cases stayed above 400 for 6 straight days. The number of confirmed cases remained just about the same even though the number of tests carried out over the weekend was merely 60% of those done on weekdays. Health officials concluded the third wave continues to spread because of cluster infections occurring in daily lives. Disease control authorities are paying special attention to recent outbreaks in public bathhouses. More than 200 people were found to have been infected in association with a public sauna in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. There's a growing number of cases linked to public bathhouses including establishments in Ulsan and Geoje. Health officials have decided to start mass testing all employees at public saunas, including body scrubbers and barbers.

[Soundbite] Sohn Young-rae(Central Disaster Management HQs) : "When visitors experience fever, chills, or cold-like symptoms, don’t use the sauna and please get tested."

The government will review disease control measures implemented at tourist landmarks in Jeju and Gangwon-do Province to be prepared for the influx of springtime visitors.