PM urges vigilance against COVID-19 during Chuseok holiday

SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Wednesday called for the public to remain vigilant to contain the spread of COVID-19 during the four-day Chuseok fall harvest holiday starting later this week.

The government plans to open about 6,000 "one-stop" COVID-19 treatment centers, where people can take virus tests, get in-person medical care services and receive antiviral drugs, during the holiday, Han told a virus response meeting.

Some 30,000 pharmacies will open during the holiday that begins Friday, Han said.

"The number of confirmed cases tends to increase after the holiday when the amount of movement increases," Han said.

Han urged people to minimize private gatherings and wear masks in indoor public places during the holiday.

On a weekly basis, the daily average COVID-19 cases came to 85,540 for the last week of August, down from around 127,000 registered for the third week of the same month.

Despite the virus slowdown, health authorities have called for the public not to lower their guard, as transmission risks could rise with heavy travel expected during the holiday.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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