Coronavirus remakes South Koreans' Thanksgiving traditions

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The coronavirus forced 84-year-old Chung Seong-ran to do something new to celebrate South Korea's Thanksgiving holiday instead of being visited by her daughter.

With a welfare worker's help, Chung sent a video greeting to her daughter for the first time in her life.

“Please, always wear masks and be vigilant! Mommy is eating well and doing fine at home. I only worry about you. I love you,” Chung said in the 15-second video clip.

Many South Koreans are observing the Chuseok autumn holiday differently than in past years, when millions of people traveled to visit their hometowns.

Health authorities have for weeks urged people to refrain from traveling during the five-day holiday that begins Wednesday because increased mobility could spread the virus and threaten South Korea's hard-won gains against COVID-19. A resurgence in the Seoul area in mid-August and September forced authorities to strengthen social distancing and other measures. The 38 new cases reported Tuesday were South Korea's lowest daily increase in about 50 days.

“We’d like to ask everyone to build family bonds and say hello to each other in a non-contact manner during this year’s Chuseok for the safety of your families and all of us,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said at a recent virus briefing. “We can have video calls with each other or use video conferencing for family gatherings.”

It’s unclear how much Chuseok observations might affect South Korea's outbreak.

Surveys of residents in the greater Seoul area — where more than half of South Korea’s 51 million people live — showed that most aren't planning to visit relatives. But tens of thousands of tourists are expected to visit the southern resort island of Jeju, and about 95% of the rooms at six...