Hello, I am Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at The Korea Times. I primarily cover financial authorities and write articles on a wide range of topics related to finance and capital markets. If you have any information to share, feel free to email me at jjh@koreatimes.co.kr, and I will review it carefully. I am committed to always doing my best to communicate with readers through high-quality articles.
Fears rise over 4th wave of coronavirus infections in Korea
Soldiers, police officers and other officials move a container filled with AstraZeneca vaccine at a logistics center in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, Friday, during an exercise before the start of the administration of vaccines to an initial group of medical workers and patients at nursing homes and other high-risk facilities. Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
Gov't finalizes list of first groups to be vaccinated
By Jun Ji-hye
The health authorities are bracing for a possible fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, as new daily cases have begun to surge again this week after the four-day Lunar New Year holiday, which ended Feb. 14.
The number had stayed in the 300 range for three consecutive days until the last day of the holiday, with the decline partially attributed to fewer people getting tested during the period. The third wave of infections in Korea, which began in mid-November, peaked at 1,240 daily cases Dec. 24.
This decline led the government to lower social distancing regulations by one notch from Level 2.5 to Level 2 ― the third-highest in the five-tier system ― for the Seoul metropolitan area, and from Level 2 to Level 1.5 for other parts of the country, beginning Monday.
But the number of infections increased to the 400 range that day, and to 600, Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Friday, the country added 561 more COVID-19 cases, including 533 local infections, for Thursday, raising the cumulative number of cases to 86,128.
Six more patients died from the disease, raising the death toll to 1,550.
The latest number of new cases slightly decreased to below 600 from Wednesday. But the authorities are still on high alert as the recent increase in infections has come before possible cases traced to family gatherings during one of the country's traditional holidays have yet to be reflected, considering the virus' incubation period of 10 to 14 days.
“COVID-19 infections, which have been decreasing, are showing signs of increasing again,” Sohn Young-rae, a senior health official, said during a media briefing. “We call upon people to take extra care in their daily lives.”
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a government meeting on COVID-19 responses at the Government Complex in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
Infection clusters at various locations have mainly contributed to the recent resurgence.
According to the KDCA, 171 patients have been traced to Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, while 110 patients have been linked to Hanyang University Hospital, also in the capital, as of Thursday.
A plastic manufacturing factory in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province has also been identified as an infection cluster involving 123 people who tested positive, while at least 149 cases have been traced to a Kiturami Boiler plant in Asan, South Chungcheong Province.
Group outbreaks involving family gatherings during the Lunar New Year holiday have begun to be reported as well, including nine in Gwangju, North Jeolla Province.
A consistent increase in the number of people infected with new variants of the coronavirus, which are known to be more transmissible, is adding to concerns.
Since the nation reported its first cases of the new variant from the United Kingdom, Dec. 28, cases of extra-contagious variants of COVID-19 have increased to nearly 100.
Of the variant cases, 80 were from the United Kingdom, followed by 13 from South Africa and six from Brazil.
The KDCA said the authorities were considering bolstering social distancing rules again if the COVID-19 infections continue to show an increasing trend.
It added that a list has been finalized of the initial group of people and patients at nursing homes and other high-risk facilities who will be the first to receive coronavirus vaccinations.