신규확진 69명, 다시 두 자릿수로…추석 감염 확산 우려 여전

Our top story this afternoon.
South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases fell below 100 again on Thursday, but health authorities are still concerned as the upcoming 3-day weekend could spark another wave of infections.
The government will announce this week new social distancing measures that will take effect starting October 11th , as the current "special virus prevention period" runs until Sunday.
Bae Eun-ji reports.
South Korea reported 69 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday,... of them, 60 were locally transmitted and 9 were from overseas.
It's a significant drop compared to the day before,... when the number of new cases broke the 100-mark after six straight days of double-digit figures.
But officials warned against complacency as cluster infections continue to be seen mainly in military bases and hospitals.
Health officials are especially concerned over the upcoming 3-day weekend,... while the so-called "silent transmission" from the Chuseok holiday may still be spreading nationwide.
There were several infections between family members during the Chuseok holiday when many traveled across the country.
There are also worries that cases could rise in popular vacation spots such as Jeju Island and Gangwon-do Province throughout this week.
Among Thursday's locally transmitted cases, 46 came from Seoul and its surrounding areas including Gyeonggi-do province and Incheon.
"The outbreak in the greater Seoul area is not over yet. We ask everyone to refrain from large gatherings and events,... to avoid contact with a lot of people during the long weekend."
The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 24-thousand-422.
There were two more deaths, raising the death toll to 427.
Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News.