Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Saturday urged the public to participate in quarantine efforts to prevent the COVID-19 situation from aggravating to a point where more inconveniences and pain must be endured.

During a meeting at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, the prime minister said that this weekend will be a crucial juncture in determining whether to adjust the social distancing level.

Chung warned against easing vigilance and asked people to spend a quiet Christmas and New Year holiday this year.

He also noted a surge in cases connected to religious facilities and called for a shift to online events only during the year-end season.

The prime minister also expressed concern over cluster infections at ski slopes, saying the virus can spread easily there due to difficulty in observing social distancing, and asked for relevant measures to be enforced.