SEOUL, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- After a weekend that saw record numbers of daily COVID-19 infections, South Korea amplified its efforts to control the spread of the virus with measures that include closing schools and opening 150 additional testing sites in the greater Seoul area on Monday.
On Sunday, South Korea recorded 1,050 COVID-19 cases, its highest-ever daily total, forcing health authorities to scramble to contain a third wave of the virus.
In an emergency meeting Sunday, President Moon Jae-in called the outbreak, which began in mid-November and has shown no signs of slowing, "the biggest crisis since the coronavirus has entered South Korea."
South Korea recorded its first COVID-19 infection on Jan. 20.
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"There is nowhere to back down," Moon said. "This is a desperate time to devote all efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus by focusing all of our virus-control capabilities and administrative power."
Moon said that South Korea was entering a "critical phase" in trying to get the outbreak under control before moving to its highest phase of distancing guidelines, Level 3, which will impose more severe restrictions on movement and businesses.
The government ordered schools in the Seoul metropolitan area, where most of the cases have been concentrated, to move to fully online classes starting on Tuesday until the end of the month.
Health authorities also began providing free COVID-19 tests at 150 pop-up clinics in Seoul on Monday, allowing anyone to get tested anonymously, even asymptomatic people or those who have not come into contact with known cases.
The military was called in to add support, with 379 officers from the Army's Special Warfare Command sent out to health centers in Seoul to help with tracing and transferring samples for virus tests, the Army said.
Citizens seemed to respond to the plea from the government for increased testing on Monday, as an outdoor center set up at Seoul Station saw a steady stream of people lining up for nasal swabs despite frigid temperatures.
"If people with asymptomatic infections in the local community are detected and isolated early through a large-scale pre-emptive examination, the current third wave can be managed without further damage," acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jeong-hyup said in a statement Monday.
South Korea has been hailed around the world for its success in containing the spread of COVID-19 through aggressive testing and tracing without resorting to the lockdowns seen in the United States and Europe.
The Seoul area has been under Level 2.5 restrictions, the second-highest on the 5-tier system, since last week. Under the guidelines, high-risk business such as nightclubs and karaoke rooms are forced to close, while restaurants, cafes and most stores must suspend operations at 9 p.m. each night.
A move to Level 3 restrictions would ban all gatherings of more than 10 people and allow only essential workers into offices.
"If we improve the situation within a few days, we can avoid an upgrade to Level 3 distancing, which forces to the people to make tremendous sacrifices," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a meeting Monday.
South Korea reported 718 new cases on Monday, a figure that reflects lower testing over the weekend, bringing the overall caseload to 43,484, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
