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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Gov't to start 2nd booster shot program for people aged 60 and above

Workers wearing protective gear move to spray disinfect as a precaution against COVID-19 under cherry blossoms in full bloom at a park in Seoul, April 11. AP-YonhapThe government said Wednesday it will start the second booster shot program for people aged 60 and above.It also plans to announce adjustments in social distancing Friday, which will center on normalizing everyday life to pre-pandemic days, Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol said in a virus response meeting.Health officials have hinted at removing the limit on the number of people for private gatherings and the business curfew.South Korea has seen daily COVID-19 infections decline in recent days, reporting 210,755 cases Tuesday after reaching a peak of more than 620,000 in mid-March. (Yonhap)

Apr 13, 2022
Gov't to start 2nd booster shot program for people aged 60 and above
  • New COVID-19 cases below 200,000 as gov't looks to ease virus curbs

New COVID-19 cases bounce back to more than 200,000

People wait in line to receive a test for COVID-19 at a testing station in Seoul Station Plaza, April 12. YonhapKorea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to more than 200,000 on Tuesday after falling to the lowest level in seven weeks a day earlier amid the government's efforts to return to normalcy.The country reported 210,755 new COVID-19 infections, including 33 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 15,635,274, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.The public health agency reported 171 new COVID-19 deaths Tuesday, raising the death toll to 19,850. The number of critically ill patients stood at 1,005, down 94 from the previous day.Korea's virus cases have been on the decrease after peaking in mid-March. On Monday, new cases fell to 90,928, marking the first drop to five digits since the Feb. 22 count of 99,562.Health authorities are expected to announce later this week a new "post-Omicron scheme" aimed at further lifting social distancing.Sohn Young-rae, a health ministry official, said in a radio interview that the government is mulling to end

Apr 12, 2022
New COVID-19 cases bounce back to more than 200,000

Korea's daily COVID-19 cases fall below 100,000 for first time in 7 weeks

A medical worker collects a sample from a visitor at a COVID-19 screening center in Seoul Station Plaza in Seoul, April 11. YonhapKorea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 100,000 for the first time in seven weeks on Monday, as the Omicron wave is slowing after reaching its peak in mid-March. The country added 90,928 new COVID-19 infections, including 21 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 15,424,598, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Monday's tally marks the first drop to five digits since the Feb. 22 count of 99,562. It is also nearly a two-month low after the 90,438 registered on Feb. 16. The daily counts tend to fall on Mondays due to fewer tests on the weekend before rising toward the end of the week. Yet the latest number reflects the downward curve in the virus trend, which has moved between 300,000 and 400,000 for the past several weeks, with the peak of over 620,000 on March 17. The death toll from COVID-19 stood at 19,679, up 258 from the previous day. The fatality rate was 0.13 percent. The number of critically ill patients came to 1,

Apr 11, 2022
Korea's daily COVID-19 cases fall below 100,000 for first time in 7 weeks
  • Korea begins transition to 'post-Omicron' era
  • Samsung eases pandemic rules as Omicron is loosening its hold

Korea begins transition to 'post-Omicron' era

A banner set up at a COVID-19 testing center near Seoul Station, Sunday, reads that free rapid antigen tests will no longer be offered there starting on Monday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin As COVID-19 infections are gradually showing signs of slowing down, the government is gearing up to shift to a “post-Omicron” era, in which the coronavirus might be treated as an endemic disease and COVID-19 might be managed more routinely within the general medical system. The country added 164,481 new infections on Saturday, raising the aggregated total to 15,333,670. The number of patients in a critical condition marked 1,114, with 329 COVID-19-related deaths.The health authorities view that infections have entered a downward trend, with nearly 30 percent of the country's population of 51 million having been infected.While the government plans to announce a detailed roadmap for the post-Omicron era later this week, it has already started scaling down pandemic response measures.Beginning Monday, screening centers installed at public health centers will no longer offer free rapid antigen test

Apr 10, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea begins transition to 'post-Omicron' era
  • Korea's daily COVID-19 cases fall below 100,000 for first time in 7 weeks

New COVID-19 cases below 200,000 for 2nd day amid Omicron wave slowdown

People walk under blooming cherry trees in Jinhae, Changwon, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, April 9. YonhapKorea's daily COVID-19 cases fell below 200,000 for the second straight day Saturday amid a downtrend in the virus curve, as the government is poised to further relax antivirus curbs in efforts to return to normalcy.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 164,481 new infections, including 27 from overseas, and bringing the total caseload to 15,333,670 out of the country's 52 million population. The daily count has trended in or below the 200,000 range over the past week, marking a downward trend after reaching a peak of 621,180, March 17, as the Omicron wave appears to be slowing. The KDCA recorded 329 new deaths, lower than Friday's 338, for a fatality rate of 0.13 percent; while the number of critically ill patients reached 1,114, up 15 from the previous day. This week, the health authorities are expected to announce a new "post-Omicron plan" aimed at further lifting social distancing and normalizing the medical system to pre-pandemic days. Pe

Apr 10, 2022
New COVID-19 cases below 200,000 for 2nd day amid Omicron wave slowdown

Half of Korean children aged 9 and below infected with COVID-19

gettyimagesbank Half of children aged nine and below have been infected with COVID-19, the health authorities said Saturday.The accumulated number of infected children in the age bracket reached 1,887,337 as of Saturday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). That translates into nearly 50,190 out of every 100,000 in the age group being infected with the coronavirus, marking the highest infection rate among other age groups, the KDCA said. The infection rate in the 10 to 19 age group was second highest, with 43,289 out of every 100,000 infected with the virus. (Yonhap)

Apr 9, 2022
Half of Korean children aged 9 and below infected with COVID-19
  • Korea's total COVID-19 caseload surpasses 15,000,000

Korea's total COVID-19 caseload surpasses 15,000,000

People wearing face masks as a precaution against COVID-19 watch a choreographed fountain show at a park in Seoul, April 4. AP-YonhapNew daily COVID-19 cases fell below 200,000, Friday, as the spread of the Omicron variant continued to slow after reaching a peak last month.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 185,566 new infections, including 40 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 15,169,189.Daily infections have been declining in recent weeks after an all-time high of over 620,000, March 17. The authorities are expected to lower the pandemic's infectious disease level to reflect the downward trend.A total of 338 died Friday, raising the toll to 19,092, for a fatality rate of 0.13 percent. The number of critically ill patients fell by six to 1,099 from a day earlier, the KDCA said.The government said it is considering lifting social distancing rules and allowing people to go mask-free outside if the virus stays in check through the end of next week.On Monday, South Korea eased social distancing rules nationwide to help reduce the plight of s

Apr 9, 2022
Korea's total COVID-19 caseload surpasses 15,000,000
  • Half of Korean children aged 9 and below infected with COVID-19

Korea's new COVID-19 cases stay in 200,000s for 4th day

People wait in line to receive a test for COVID-19 at a testing station in Seoul Station Plaza, April 8. Yonhap New daily COVID-19 cases remained in the 200,000s for the fourth consecutive day Thursday in a downward trend that could cause health officials to lower their infectious disease level for the outbreak amid eased social distancing rules.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 205,333 infections, including 31 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 14,983,694. The public health agency reported 373 new deaths Thursday, up from 348 the previous day and 371 Tuesday, raising the toll to 18,754. The number of critically ill patients stood at 1,093, down 23.As the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to fall, the government said it is considering lifting the social distancing rules and allowing people to go mask-free outside if the virus stays in check through the end of next week. On Monday, the administration eased social distanci

Apr 8, 2022
Korea's new COVID-19 cases stay in 200,000s for 4th day

Controversy continues over establishment of Korea's 1st for-profit hospital

A coalition of civic groups holds a rally in front of Cheong Wa Dae in this Jan. 21, 2019 photo to protest the establishment of Greenland International Medical Center, a for-profit hospital, on Jeju Island. NewsisCourt rules against ban on hospital receiving Korean national patientsBy Lee Hyo-jin A recent court ruling against a ban on Korea's first for-profit hospital from receiving domestic patients has prompted a strong backlash from doctors and civic groups, who expressed concerns that the ruling may mark the beginning of the privatization of the country's healthcare services. The decision has added fuel to the ongoing controversy surrounding the opening of Greenland International Medical Center, located on the southern island of Jeju, which was constructed in 2018 by Greenland Group, a Shanghai-based real estate developer. Under Korea's medical laws, private hospitals should be operated only by non-profit foundations and are heavily regulated by the national health insurance system. But the country's first for-profit hospital in Jeju was constructed in accordance with another law

Apr 8, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Controversy continues over establishment of Korea's 1st for-profit hospital

Korea braces for gradual COVID-19 transition to endemic

Park Hyang from the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters speaks during a briefing on relaxing social distancing measures against the coronavirus at the Government Complex Sejong, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Health and Welfare Experts warn against early return to normalcy by scrapping distancing rules By Lee Hae-rinThe government is mapping out a gradual “return to normalcy” scheme by treating COVID-19 as endemic, as daily infection cases are showing clear signs of decline.According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Wednesday, the country will lift the social distancing and quarantine measures in phases, rather than declaring an end to the pandemic and removing all regulations at once.“Discussions (on the new regulations) are still in progress,” Park Hyang, a senior health official, said during a briefing. She said that in light of Omicron's relatively low fatality rate, health authorities are considering lowering the infectious disea

Apr 7, 2022By Lee Hae-rin
Korea braces for gradual COVID-19 transition to endemic
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