S. Korea to extend strengthened measures to stop COVID-19 spread

정세균 총리 "수도권 강화된 방역조치 연장 불가피" Our starting point this Friday morning. South Korea's jump in new coronavirus cases from local cluster infections has been spreading quickly in the Seoul metropolitan area,... forcing the government to extend its virus prevention guidelines, initially set to come to an end this Sunday. This as the Prime Minister does not see an improvement in the COVID-19 situation in the metropolitan area, compared to that of two weeks ago. Our Jang Tae-hyun is in line to tell us more. Tae-hyun, what is going to happen? Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun held a briefing on Friday to announce that the strengthened prevention measures in the capital area will be extended. Take a listen. "It's inevitable that we have to prolong the strengthened measures that would have ended in two days. The government will extend the period until the situation settles." The government is advising people not to visit places like bars... and is restricting events with mass gatherings. This move first was initiated in late May, when the government shut down public facilities like museums and parks... and advised private education institutions and bars to close until June 14th, and is now being extended until the situation improves. Such measures come as since the start of June,... 97 percent of new cases were concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area. Several cluster outbreaks including cases at a door-to-door sales company and an indoor table tennis gym have sparked concerns for health authorities. The cluster infection related to a table tennis club in southwestern Seoul has also led to infections at a welfare center for senior citizens. Since Seoul and nearby areas are densely populated, it's crucial to follow the COVID-19 prevention guidelines to stop the spread of the virus. Back to you, Semin #SouthKorea #COVID19 #ChungSyekyun 📣 Arirang News(Facebook) :   / arirangtvnews   📣 Arirang News(Twitter) :   / arirangtvnews   📣 News Center(YouTube) :    / newscenter_arirangtv