◀ anchor ▶
We will continue the news with the news of COVID-19.
As the omicron mutation, which has strong transmission power, spreads rapidly, it is predicted that it will become the dominant species within 1-2 weeks in Korea.
The point in time when the current decline has stopped and the number of confirmed cases is rebounding.
So, the 5th epidemic is coming soon, and the government said that before that, the number of confirmed cases should be reduced as much as possible.
First of all, we decided to strengthen quarantine measures for inbound travelers from abroad.
There is a possibility that the current social distancing will be extended as it is.
Correspondent Shin Jeong-yeon.
◀ Report ▶
The number of new confirmed cases in Korea is on a downward curve after reaching an all-time high on the 15th of last month.
However, the decline in the number of confirmed cases, which had fallen sharply by an average of about 500 a day, has recently slowed to an average of 200 people a day.
It is presumed that this is because the omicron mutation, which has strong propagation power, is spreading rapidly.
The government predicts that within a week or two, the omicron mutation will overtake the delta and become the dominant species.
[이재갑/한림대 강남성심병원 감염내과 교수]
“Most mathematical modeling predicts that it will be over 50% by the end of this month, and 80-90% by February.”
The time when the current decline stops and the number of Omicron confirmed cases increases again is expected to be the reference point for the fifth wave.
Therefore, it is the government’s judgment that the number of confirmed cases and damage caused by Omicron can only be reduced by reducing the number of confirmed cases as much as possible from now on.
To this end, the government has decided to strengthen quarantine measures for overseas entrants first.
Recently, the number of confirmed cases entering overseas is increasing rapidly, such as the number of confirmed cases who entered the U.S. after attending the US Electronics Fair.
Therefore, from the 20th, the government will ban all inbound travelers from using public transportation and will have them use their own cars, quarantine buses, and quarantine taxis.
[김기남/코로나19예방접종대응추진단 예방접종관리반장]
“The standard for submitting a negative PCR confirmation letter for entrants will also be strengthened to 48 hours from the 72-hour test before the departure date.”
In addition, as the number of hospitalized patients surged within a month when Omicron became the dominant species in foreign countries, we plan to further lower the utilization rate of critically ill beds, which has now fallen to 40%.
The government will announce tomorrow whether to extend the distance, including the Omicron quarantine measures.
With the imminent risk of Omicron, there is a strong prospect that the current distance is likely to be extended.
This is Jeongyeon Shin from MBC News.
Video editing: Oh Yu-rim
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