March 24, 2020 13:18
The city government of Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province on Monday closed access to all the famous cherry blossom spots in the city.
The city is home to Korea's biggest annual cherry blossom festival in Jinhae, which used to be a separate city before they merged in 2017.
The decision came because visitors still crowded the spots even though the city canceled this year's festival due to the coronavirus epidemic and pleaded with people to stay away.
The alert has been heightened since four tourists from Haman, South Gyeongsang Province tested positive for coronavirus after visiting Gurye in South Jeolla Province, another area famous for a flower festival, last week.
The city will also temporarily close nearby parking spaces and crack down on illegally parked cars.
The city asked people nationwide to refrain from visiting Jinhae to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
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