Congestion alert system to operate for beach visitors during summer

South Korea said Wednesday it plans to raise its guard against the new coronavirus at beaches here as more people are expected to travel locally during the summer season.

Starting July, the country will operate a three-level alert system -- green, yellow and red -- to warn visitors of congestion at beaches, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

The system will be applied to all 277 local beaches, compared to just 50 the previous year. The information will be available on popular platforms, including Kakao and Naver.

The country will also have visitors dial a designated phone number at each beach, amid growing concerns that scanning QR codes may lead to the leak of personal information.

Visitors to large beaches will be given a special sticker that changes color when body temperature hovers above 37.5 C.

At smaller beaches, travelers will be given a wristband after having their temperatures checked, which can be used to visit other facilities, including restaurants in the area.

South Korea reported 677 new coronavirus patients Wednesday, raising the tally to 141,476. Daily virus cases have hovered above 400 since late March. (Yonhap)