The government has once again urged citizens to refrain from visiting their hometowns during the Chuseok holiday, stressing that the period could be a watershed moment in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second Vice Health Minister Kang Do-tae said in a briefing at Sejong Government Complex that it is urgent to prevent the spread of the virus from fall to winter by forgoing holiday travel and dense gatherings.

He stressed that the government is working hard to fend off the so-called “twindemic,” referring to the simultaneous spread of COVID-19 and the seasonal flu.

Kang noted the high risk of infections in those over the age of 60 and urged people to keep their distance from one another and observe key quarantine guidelines.