17일 만에 100명대...2.5단계 연장 여부 오늘 결정<br /><br />Our top story this morning.<br />South Korea added fewer than 2-hundred new COVID-19 cases on Thursday for the first time in 17 days.<br />All eyes are now on whether the government is going to extend the current level 2-point-5 social distancing measures..., which heavily restricts people's daily lives and activities.<br />Kim Sung-min reports.<br />The South Korean government will decide Friday whether to extend the current level 2-point-5 social distancing measures, which were originally due to end this Sunday.<br />New COVID-19 cases in South Korea have been on a downtrend over the past two weeks, showing the government's strengthened measures are having the desired effect.<br />"The government's policies like stricter social distancing measures are working well. The effect of the level 2-point-5 social distancing measures will be apparent from the middle of this week."<br />However, despite the slowing trend, South Korea is not yet completely out of the woods.<br />One in four COVID-19 patients show no clear route of infection, meaning they could be spreading the virus without even knowing.<br />There are still cluster infections at various spots like sports facilities and churches.<br />Most importantly, concerns grow as the Korean Thanksgiving Day holiday, Chuseok, is around the corner.<br />"There was a spike in the number of infections during the holidays in May and in August so the government will try its best to contain further infections during Chuseok."<br />Since many people travel around the country during Chuseok, the key goal for the government is to ensure that cases don't surge again during the holiday.<br />If the government keeps the current level in place longer, restaurants and bars must continue to close early and franchise coffee shops can only offer take-out or delivery services.<br />Kim Sung-min, Arirang News.<br />
