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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.

Number of critically ill COVID-19 patients feared to rise

People stand in line waiting to receive a COVID-19 test at a screening center in Jung District, Seoul, Tuesday. NewsisDaily infections hit fresh high of 57,117By Lee Hyo-jin The number of severely ill COVID-19 patients and deaths is feared to rise beginning this week, following the soaring number of infections spurred by the Omicron variant sweeping across the nation. The coronavirus is showing no signs of abating here, with 57,117 new cases of infection added for Monday, yet another all-time high, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).Despite record-high numbers of infections fueled by Omicron, the country has been seeing relatively less critical cases and deaths so far, as the variant appeared to be less lethal than its predecessors. But a recent surge in infections among people aged 60 and over, who are at a higher risk of falling seriously ill, has prompted concerns that the rapidly increasing number of cases could lead to a spike in critical cases. According to the KDCA, in the fourth week of January, the number of patients aged 60 and above stood a

Feb 15, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Number of critically ill COVID-19 patients feared to rise
  • Americans advised not to travel to Korea amid COVID-19 surge
  • Parents divided over mandatory at-home tests for young students
  • Korea's daily COVID-19 cases spike to over 90,000 for first time

New COVID-19 cases hit fresh high

A medical worker takes a nasal swab sample from a woman at a makeshift COVID-19 testing site in Seoul, Feb. 14. AP-Yonhap Daily COVID-19 infections rose sharply to hit another high of over 57,000, Monday, putting the health authorities on alert amid the fast spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant across the nation.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 57,177 cases, including 57,012 local ones, raising the total caseload to 1,462,421.The latest figure marked the sixth day in a row that daily infections have surpassed 50,000. The death toll from COVID-19 came to 7,163, up 61 from Sunday for a fatality rate of 0.49 percent, the KDCA said.The health authorities have warned that daily new cases could hit 170,000 by around the end of the month. The National Institute of Mathematical Sciences, a state-run think tank, estimated the figure could even soar as high as 360,000 by early next month. (Yonhap)

Feb 15, 2022
New COVID-19 cases hit fresh high
  • Better protection needed for students in high-risk groups: experts
  • Americans advised not to travel to Korea amid COVID-19 surge

Americans advised not to travel to Korea amid COVID-19 surge

People wait for a COVID-19 test at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, Feb. 14. AP-Yonhap The U.S. government advised its people against travel to South Korea, Monday, amid reports of widespread COVID-19 infections here. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added South Korea to the "very high" risk Level 4 category, along with five other countries and territories, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Comoros, French Polynesia, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon"If you must travel to South Korea, make sure you are vaccinated and up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before travel," the CDC said on its website. "Even if you are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, you may still be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19." The number of places subject to Level 4, the CDC's highest risk level, has risen to almost 140 worldwide.The Department of State also raised its travel alert for South Korea to "Level 4: Do Not Travel."On Sunday, South Korea reported

Feb 15, 2022
Americans advised not to travel to Korea amid COVID-19 surge
  • New COVID-19 cases hit fresh high
  • Number of critically ill COVID-19 patients feared to rise

Gov't considering requiring at-home COVID-19 tests for young students

gettyimagesbankThe education ministry is considering requiring kindergarten and elementary students to take rapid COVID-19 tests at home before going to school twice a week starting next month, officials said Monday."We're conducting discussions while leaving various possibilities open, including a measure to have students go to school after tests at home," a ministry official said. Schools are bracing for the new semester next month amid the rapid spread of Omicron, which has recently driven up the daily new COVID-19 tally to over the 50,000 level. In a measure to protect young students against the pandemic, the ministry said last week it was discussing with regional education authorities the distribution of free rapid antigen test kits to conduct semiweekly tests on 3.3 million kindergarten and elementary students for five weeks. The tentative test scheme for young children is drawing mixed reactions from parents. "It's preposterous to subject children to nose swabbing twice every week even though they have not come in close contact with patients. I would rather prefer e-learning,"

Feb 14, 2022
Gov't considering requiring at-home COVID-19 tests for young students
  • New COVID-19 cases over 50,000 for 5th day

New COVID-19 cases over 50,000 for 5th day

People wait in line to undergo a COVID-19 test at a temporary testing site set up at City Hall Plaza in Seoul, Feb. 10. Reuters-Yonhap Daily COVID-19 cases exceeded 50,000 for the fifth day in a Sunday as the health authorities brace for a further spike amid the rapid spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant nationwide.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 54,619 new infections, including 54,513 local ones, raising the overall total to 1,405,246.The latest figure marked the fifth day in a row that daily infections have exceeded 50,000, although it was below the record high of 56,428 reported the previous day.The health authorities have warned that daily new cases could hit 170,000 by around the end of the month. The National Institute of Mathematical Sciences, a state-run think tank, estimated the figure could even soar as high as 360,000 by early next month.The death toll from COVID-19 came to 7,102, up 21 from Saturday for a fat

Feb 14, 2022
New COVID-19 cases over 50,000 for 5th day
  • Gov't considering requiring at-home COVID-19 tests for young students

Among foreign health insurance subscribers, Chinese reap highest benefits

gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin Among foreign residents who subscribe to Korea's national health insurance program, Chinese nationals were the only group whose total reimbursed medical expenses surpassed their total insurance premiums, according to National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) data.According to data obtained by Rep. Seo Jeong-suk of main opposition People Power Party (PPP) from the NHIS, among the foreign nationals of the top 20 countries subscribed to the state-run healthcare system between 2017 and 2020, only the Chinese residents' reimbursement-to-premium ratio exceeded 100 percent, the group in total received more benefits than the amount paid. In 2020, Chinese nationals paid an average of about 970,000 won ($808) in insurance premiums per person and received slightly over 1 million won in reimbursement. Between 2017 and 2020, Chinese residents in total paid about 1.86 trillion won in insurance premiums, and received around 2.2 trillion won, amounting to a deficit of some 380 billion won for the NHIS.During the same period, the reimbursement-to-premium ratio among Chine

Feb 14, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Among foreign health insurance subscribers, Chinese reap highest benefits

Better protection needed for students in high-risk groups: experts

Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae announces renewed quarantine guidelines for school attendance during a briefing at the government complex in Seoul, Thursday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiConcerns are growing over possible COVID-19 infections among students in high-risk groups, such as those with underlying disease and those who are unvaccinated ahead of the beginning of spring semester as the highly transmissible COVID-19 Omicron variant has continued to spread rapidly across the country. Although the Ministry of Education (MOE) recently issued revised quarantine guidelines for attendance in the new semester, aimed at flexibly responding to the virus situation, many point out they are not enough to prevent possible transmissions among students.Experts point out that high-risk students such as children with diabetes or severe asthma who are infected with the Omicron variant have an increased risk of fatality and the education ministry should prepare specific protection measures for them.The ministry's new guidelines, announced, Thursday, stipulate that there are six major categories: endocrine

Feb 14, 2022By Bahk Eun-ji
Better protection needed for students in high-risk groups: experts
  • Is Korea ready to ease social distancing, vaccine pass?
  • New COVID-19 cases hit fresh high

Is Korea ready to ease social distancing, vaccine pass?

A medical worker administers a COVID-19 test to a visitor at a screening center near Seoul Station, Sunday. YonhapLifting of COVID-19 measures premature: experts By Lee Hyo-jin The government's quarantine scheme shift targeting the Omicron variant has led to rising calls to ease social distancing measures and the vaccine pass system, among people who view these antivirus regulations as ineffective in curbing the unrelenting spread of the virus.Amid surging Omicron cases, the government recently introduced new virus management strategies to focus on high-risk groups, rather than putting equal resources into all confirmed infection cases. Since Feb. 10, the authorities have scrapped the GPS-based monitoring of people in self-isolation after testing positive or being in close contact with an infected case.COVID-19 patients undergoing home treatment no longer need to report to public health officials when they go out to visit hospitals, while their cohabiting family members are allowed to leave the house freely to buy medicine and daily necessities. The government has also replaced its r

Feb 13, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Is Korea ready to ease social distancing, vaccine pass?
  • New cases hit record high of 56,431 amid Omicron surge
  • Better protection needed for students in high-risk groups: experts

COVID-19 self-test kits for 30 million people to be available in pharmacies, convenience stores

A citizen holds a COVID-19 self-test kit at a makeshift testing center in Seoul, Feb. 13. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Sunday self-test kits for 30 million people will be available at local pharmacies and convenience stores for two weeks starting this week. Yonhap The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Sunday self-test kits for 30 million people will be available at local pharmacies and convenience stores for two weeks starting this week.The ministry will also distribute self-test kits for 24 million people at COVID-19 testing clinics and virus-prone facilities starting Monday.In light of the surge in home-treatment patients, the government earlier announced it will ban online sales of COVID-19 kits starting Sunday and temporarily restrict the purchase of kits to five units per person at one place for three weeks in order to stabilize supply.The decision was made amid concerns of scalping and other potential antitrust moves related to the procurement

Feb 13, 2022
COVID-19 self-test kits for 30 million people to be available in pharmacies, convenience stores

New cases hit record high of 56,431 amid Omicron surge

People wait in line to be tested for COVID-19 at a makeshift testing center in Seoul, Feb. 13. The number of daily COVID-19 cases in Korea reached a fresh high of 56,431 for Saturday, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant continued to spread rapidly across the nation. YonhapThe number of daily COVID-19 cases in Korea reached a fresh high of 56,431 for Saturday, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant continued to spread rapidly across the nation.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the fresh cases included 56,297 local ones, and raised the country's total caseload to 1,350,630.The latest figure marks the fourth day in a row of daily infections above 50,000 ― 54,941 cases were reported for Friday.New daily infections have surged sharply recently due to the Omicron variant, reaching over 40,000 for the first time Wednesday, just four days after breaking the 30,000 mark Feb. 5.The death toll from COVID-19 came to 7,081, up 36 from Friday for a fatality rate of 0.52 percent, the KDCA said.The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients was 288, up 13 from

Feb 13, 2022
New cases hit record high of 56,431 amid Omicron surge
  • Is Korea ready to ease social distancing, vaccine pass?
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