Anchor: New COVID-19 infections topped 300 for the third straight day amid what is believed to be the third wave of the epidemic. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said that 363 additional people, including 320 at home, tested positive as of 12 a.m. Friday, raising the country's cumulative total to 30-thousand-17. The daily figure was the highest to be posted since August 28 which was shortly after the Seoul metropolitan area witnessed its second wave. The prime minister issued an emergency statement, urging the public to cancel their scheduled gatherings.
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun identified the current upsurge in infections as a crisis. 

As the number of daily COVID-19 infections topped 300 for the third straight day, Chung held a news conference, urging the public to stay home. 

[Sound bite: Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun (Korean-English translation)] 
"First of all, please abstain from various year-end gatherings and other non-essential activities, and stay home as much as you can. In particular, I urge those 60 and older to take caution to maintain their health in the cold season and minimize going out and meeting people. I ask workers to cancel or postpone year-end parties and social gatherings and companies are requested to join quarantine efforts by promoting working from home." 

Of the 320 newly confirmed cases at home throughout Thursday, 218, or 68 percent, were reported in the capital area. 

During Friday's daily briefing, the central quarantine headquarters called the current surge in Seoul and surrounding areas a third wave of infections, after February's massive outbreak in the southeastern city of Daegu and the nationwide spread in August. 

[Sound bite: Yoon Tae-ho - director general for public health policy, Ministry of Health and Welfare (Korean-English translation)]  
"Following the outbreaks in February, March and in August, we believe a third wave of infections is under way. If the rise of cases in the Seoul-metro area doesn’t ease and fulfills the criteria for Level Two by reaching 200 a day on average in a one-week period, then we will consider upgrading before the current two-week [Level One-point-Five] period is finished. We ask for your cooperation to turn the situation around without upgrading to Level Two, which will significantly affect daily routines and livelihoods." 

The average daily infections over the last seven days stands at 153 for the region. 

In most of the capital region, social distancing regulations were heightened by a notch from the lowest level in the five-tier scale on Wednesday, requiring more space between seats at restaurants, schools and other facilities. Level Two will require bars and nightclubs to shut down, and limit nighttime operations for restaurants. 

With the national college entrance exam coming up in less than two weeks, quarantine authorities here are exerting all-out efforts to prevent test venues from becoming massive clusters.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.