Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Greater than 1:1 patient transmission: gov't warns of another mass outbreak
Citizens wait in line to enter Seoulland amusement park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, as the weather warmed up. Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-ji
By Bahk Eun-ji
Health authorities called on the public to be vigilant against COVID-19, as the number of infections is resurging while people are engaging in more outdoor activities amid mild spring weather.
They have asked the public to adhere to social distancing measures and personal hygiene, adding the third wave of the pandemic is still ongoing.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Monday, last week's reproduction rate was 1.07, meaning one person spread the virus to 1.07 people on average. This was up from 0.94 recorded a week earlier.
The rate is an index that indicates to how many people a single COVID-19 patient will infect on average. If this index is 1 or higher, it means the virus is spreading, and if it is less than 1, it means the spread of the virus is suppressed.
Other data has also indicated negative results for the quarantine efforts.
The average number of daily local infections was 428.3 last week, 56.6 higher than the previous week's average.
Furthermore, for 24.5 percent of new patients last week, the authorities have not been able to determine how, when and where they contracted the virus.
“There are still sufficient conditions for the virus to become active again in our daily lives if we don't keep tight reins on quarantine work,” senior health official Sohn Young-rae said during a regular virus response press briefing at the Government Complex Seoul, Monday.
According to the KDCA, the nation reported 382 new COVID-19 cases for Sunday, which was a smaller number compared to the previous several days because the number of tests conducted is usually small on weekends.
A parking lot at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul is packed with cars belonging to people who went out to enjoy outdoor activities amid the mild weather, Sunday. Yonhap
Amid the upward trend, the government announced its detailed vaccination plans for the second quarter of the year aiming at achieving herd immunity by November.
Until the end of this month, about 377,000 patients aged 65 or older and workers at nursing homes will be given the AstraZeneca vaccine, which the government had initially suspended for the elderly group due to insufficient data but decided recently to recommence administering.
Starting April 1, vaccinations for those aged 75 or older will begin as they are in a high-risk group that is more likely to develop other complications if infected with the virus. Those aged between 65 and 75 are expected to get shots starting June.
The vaccinations will begin in April for special education workers, and health workers or teachers at daycare centers, kindergartens and elementary schools. Ordinary teachers at daycare centers and kindergartens, as well as elementary school homeroom teachers for first and second graders, will also get vaccinated starting June.
Workers at nursing homes in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, wait in line to get COVID-19 vaccines at a vaccination center in the region, Monday. Yonhap
In the meantime, Cheong Wa Dae said President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook will get inoculated March 23 with the AstraZenica vaccine, before they travel to Britain to attend the G7 summit there in June.
According to the government's program, they are not subject to vaccination in the first quarter, but the decision to do so was made after consultation with the health authorities, which concluded embarking on overseas trips for government affairs would prioritize their eligibility.