COVID-19 INFECTIONS REACH RECORD HIGH

[Anchor Lead]

South Korea reported record COVID-19 infections of more than 24-hundred on Friday. As the outbreak did not let up during the Chuseok holiday, repercussions from the holiday mass movement are expected to be considerable. Authorities urge people to get tested by all means if they show any symptoms.

[Pkg]

South Korea reported 2,434 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. The largest daily tally since the start of the pandemic comes a day after the end of the Chuseok holidays. The capital region accounted for more than 72% of domestic cases including 903 in Seoul and 704 in Gyeonggido Province. At Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital in Seoul where the first infection was confirmed a day before the Chuseok holiday began, the caseload has now reached 47 including some 30 medical staff and employees who are fully vaccinated. Breakthrough infections are suspected.

[Soundbite] Song Eun-cheol(Seoul Metropolitan Gov’t) : "Bathrooms, shower stalls and pantries were jointly used in the hospital ward where infections have been detected."

Cases are also reported at traditional markets where crowds of customers gathered to buy holiday items. A major cluster linked to Garak Market in Seoul’s Songpa-gu district has surpassed 500 cases while nearly 200 cases are confirmed at another market located in Jung-gu district. Despite fewer testing during the holiday, daily cases remained in the 17-hundred range for 3 straight days. The virus reproduction rate has risen from 0.99 to 1.03 over the past 4 weeks and the situation is far more serious in the capital area. Authorities believe the effects of increased travel and contact during Chuseok will begin to show from next week. Therefore people displaying the slightest of symptoms after traveling or attending gatherings during the holiday are asked to get tested right away.

[Soundbite] Kwon Jun-wook(Central Disease Control HQs) : "In addition to testing, it’s very important to continue adhering to the basic rules of mask wearing, hand washing and frequent ventilation."

The key concern is the fact that the spread could escalate next week due to a post-holiday surge coming from increased travel.