코로나19 신규 확진 줄고 있지만, 안심할 수 없는 이유

South Korea surpassed total of 20-thousand COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.
The daily tally has been on a downtrend for five days in a row...but health authorities say it's not time to relax.
Choi Jeong-yoon tells us why.
Seven months since the first case.
Now there's a COVID-19 caseload of more than 20-thousand in South Korea.
However, since the country's daily new infections entered a triple digit uptick last month, it's recently been on a downtrend.
"The number of newly confirmed patients has been decreasing over the past five days. But, with the testing capacity during the weekend affecting the total number, there's a need to closely watch the situation."
Signs that show there are a considerable number of silent transmissions are keeping health authorities on their toes.
Over the past two weeks, 24-point-3 percent of cases are under investigation, looking for their original source of transmission.
This means one out of four patients don't know where they contracted the virus.
With people showing little or no symptoms at all, so called "silent patients" moving around the city..there have been a series of infections at churches, sports facilities and music academies.
"There can't be a guarantee the situation we face now is the start of a crisis, or the mid-point. We hope the tightened social distancing level of 2-point-5 will be adhered to perfectly."
Strong social distancing could be the only key to stopping another big wave.
"Let's go back to normal and things are okay after September 9th? That's a big no. With South Korea's thanksgiving holiday at the end of this month, there could be a third wave after many people move around."
When people gather, the virus spreads.
And when groups don't come together, the virus lets up.
That's what experts say people need to keep in mind and continue to minimize their social activites and meetings.
Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News.