◀ anchor ▶
The number of new COVID-19 cases continued to exceed 100,000 for the second day.
Starting today, the business hours of restaurants and cafes have been extended by one hour as social distancing has been partially eased.
Let’s connect with reporters who are out on the streets of Hongdae, Seoul to find out what’s going on right now.
Reporter Kim A-young, doesn’t it look like there are not many people on the street?
◀ reporter ▶
Yes, it is Saturday evening and because it is the first day of the new social distancing, there are many citizens out on the street even in cold weather.
Restaurants and cafes are open from today until 10pm.
As you can see, the restaurant district is slowly reviving as the restaurant is bustling with customers.
In the followingnoon, I met nearby merchants.
It is fortunate that the distancing measures have been eased, but it was disappointing that the business hours were extended by only one hour.
Let’s hear it for yourself.
[최차수/음식점 주인]
“I don’t think there will be much difference between 9 and 10 (closing hours). It’s very disappointing.”
[여인호/음식점 주인]
“I was expecting a little bit more this time, and of course it was extended by an hour, but I’m grateful, but I feel it’s lacking a lot from our point of view…”
The creation of access lists, such as relief calls and QR code authentication, which have been used to track contacts of confirmed patients, has been temporarily suspended from today.
Therefore, multi-use facilities such as movie theaters and large marts can be used without a separate entrance procedure.
[유예림/경기 고양시]
“I think it was a little inconvenient because I had to (use) my phone to scan the QR code when I was walking around. But I don’t do it anymore, so I’m a little more comfortable…”
However, facilities that apply the quarantine pass, such as restaurants and cafes, must authenticate the QR code as before to check whether or not they have been vaccinated, and the maximum number of people at private meetings remains the same.
◀ anchor ▶
Yes, although the distance has been partially relaxed, aren’t the confirmed cases continuing to rise?
How is the situation today?
◀ reporter ▶
Today, the number of new COVID-19 cases remained at the 100,000 level for two days in a row.
The number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 stood at 102,211, down 7,600 from yesterday.
Compared to a week ago, it has nearly doubled, and the ‘doubling’ phenomenon is continuing.
The rate of increase in the number of patients with severe gastritis also increased to 408, an increase of 23 in one day.
This is the first time in regarding a month since the 24th of last month that the number of seriously ill patients exceeded 400.
The utilization rate of intensive care beds for COVID-19 has also increased to 31%.
The number of deaths also increased by 71 in one day, rising to the 70s for the first time in a month, and the number of home-treated people also exceeded 400,000.
The government expects the number of confirmed cases to reach 180,000 by the beginning of next month, and is in the position to adjust the distance once more following confirming the peak of this epidemic.
Until now, this is Kim Ah-young from MBC News on the streets of Hongdae.
Video coverage Lee Jun-ha / Video editing Na Ji-yeon
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