Anchor: The daily COVID-19 increase in South Korea remained below 100 for the fifth-consecutive day following the recent Chuseok holiday. Authorities, however, called for continued vigilance until the special quarantine period ends this weekend.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said as of 12:00 a.m. Monday, 73 additional people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the country's accumulated total to 24-thousand-164.

The daily increase has stayed in double digits for the fifth-straight day and throughout the five-day Chuseok holiday with the exception of 113 cases reported on the first day of the break last Wednesday.

Amid the government urging the public to minimize travel during the holiday to prevent the virus' further spread, a daily average of some five-point-19 million people were found to have traveled during Chuseok, down 19-point-three percent on-year.

The daily average number of vehicles using highways dropped 13-point-eight percent on-year, while passengers on trains and express buses fell 57 and 55 percent, respectively.

Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said the country must remain vigilant in monitoring the direction of the epidemic until the two-week special quarantine period ends on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the government will ban some conservative groups' anti-government rallies planned for the Hangeul Day holiday on Friday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it plans to combine efforts with the police to physically and legally block the rallies, as 52 demonstrations involving more than ten people have so far been reported.

Last Saturday, police buses blocked parts of Gwanghwamun Square, while 90 checkpoints were set up around the city and subways passed through without stopping at stations in the area to prevent mass gatherings of people for previously announced rallies.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.