South Korea has appealed for people to stick to social distancing even as they prepared to celebrate a major holiday, with the novel coronavirus posing a once-in-a-century threat even though the number of new cases has been edging lower.

Health authorities pleaded for people to stay at home and shun gatherings ahead of the Korean autumn thanksgiving holiday of Chuseok, which begins today, although millions are still expected to travel across the country, Reuters reported.

“We're in a disaster situation of infectious disease that we could face once a century. Even if it's a bit uncomfortable and doesn't feel like Chuseok, we urge you to follow anti-virus measures at any cost,” Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency official Kwon Jun-wook told a briefing.