PM says No. of quarantined people tops 70,000 amid rapid virus spread

SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday that the number of those quarantined at home in South Korea due to COVID-19 has soared to an all-time high level of over 70,000 and asked the public to cooperate with the government's antivirus measures.

"Transmissions are continuing in all places, with the number of quarantined people soaring above 70,000 to reach an all-time high level since two days ago," Chung said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters at the government complex in Seoul.

Chung stressed that the upcoming weekend would serve as a critical juncture in determining whether new cases continue to rise or subside.

He asked for the public to adhere more strictly to tightened social distancing rules, explaining that the latest virus wave is difficult to control by government measures alone, as transmissions were reportedly occurring virtually in all places.

"We ask that you cooperate with the thought that all people are the principle agents of the country's antivirus measures," Chung said.

The prime minister also wished good luck to those scheduled to take the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) on Thursday and requested education officials do their utmost to ensure the safety of test takers at nationwide venues.

Around 490,000 high school seniors, graduates and others plan to take the CSAT amid a sharp increase in the number of coronavirus infections across the country.

That includes 21 COVID-19 patients and 144 people in self-quarantine, according to Nov. 26 data from the education ministry. Hospital beds have been set up for up to 172 COVID-19 patients and special test centers for up to 3,800 people in self-quarantine.

odissy@yna.co.kr
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