코로나19 109명 확진... 확연한 감소세, 두자릿수 본 수도권<br /><br />Our top story this afternoon.<br />People in Seoul and its surrounding areas are back to a semblance of normality on this first day of the work week.<br />Buoyed by a sharp downturn in the number of new COVID-19 cases, the social distancing measures were eased from midnight.<br />Kim Yeon-seung starts us off.<br />South Korea on Monday confirmed an additional 109 cases of COVID-19.<br />Of them, 98 are local infections and most were concentrated in the capital region.<br />Even though the number of confirmed cases remains above 100, officials and the public are happy to see a clear downward trend in terms of new infections.<br />Monday's new cases were down by twelve compared to Sunday.<br />Also, for two straight days, the capital region only saw double-digit increases.<br />However, health officials are staying on their toes.<br />With the eased level two social distancing measures taking effect and the Korean thanksgiving holiday of Chuseok a couple of weeks away, concerns linger over a possible fresh wave of infections as it's a time when millions of Koreans typically travel throughout the country.<br />As a result, special virus prevention measures will be put in place prior to the start of the holiday.<br />Level two distancing measures will be in effect for two weeks until September 27th. Also, we will classify the Chuseok holiday starting from September 28th to October 11th as a 'special quarantine period' and strengthen prevention measures.<br />Under the eased rules, customers can now eat and drink inside cafes,... and in restaurants even after 9 PM as long as they strictly adhere to the virus prevention rules,... such as contact tracing, social distancing measures and mask-wearing.<br />PC rooms, that had been classified as high-risk facilities, can also now reopen under the eased level 2 distancing measures.<br />On Monday, five more people in South Korea died from COVID-19.<br />The commissioner of Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Jeong Eun-kyeong, said she aims to have a domestically-produced vaccine ready by next year.<br />Kim Yeon-seung, Arirang News.<br />
