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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.

Buying of virus self-test kits to be restricted to 5 per purchase for 3 weeks

People wait for a COVID-19 test at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, Feb. 9. AP-Yonhap Buying of COVID-19 self-test kits will be restricted to five units per purchase for three weeks, as the government works to stabilize the supply in light of the recent surge in at-home treatment patients, officials said Saturday.According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the purchase restriction for self-test kits will be enforced for three weeks starting Sunday. Customers, however, will be allowed to purchase additional kits at different stores if needed, officials said.Self-test kits will also only be available through in-person purchases at local pharmacies, and CU and GS25 convenience stores during the period.The decision was made amid concerns of scalping and other potential antitrust moves related to the procurement of self-test kits, following a surge in the number of Omicron variant patients, widely known to have mild or no symptoms, under self-treatment at home.A

Feb 12, 2022
Buying of virus self-test kits to be restricted to 5 per purchase for 3 weeks
  • Daily COVID-19 cases reach new high of 54,941

Daily COVID-19 cases reach new high of 54,941

A medical worker gestures to guide people as they wait for a COVID-19 test at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, Feb. 10. AP-Yonhap The number of COVID-19 infections in South Korea reached a new high Friday, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant continued to spread rapidly across the country.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 54,941 new cases, including 53,797 local ones, raising the total to 1,294,205.This marks the third day in a row that the daily tally exceeded the 50,000 level ― 53,926 cases were reported for Thursday.The health authorities have warned that the figure could reach 170,000 by around the end of the month, though it is too early to say if this will be the peak of the Omicron surge.The death toll from COVID-19 came to 7,045, up 33 from Thursday. (Yonhap)

Feb 12, 2022
Daily COVID-19 cases reach new high of 54,941
  • Buying of virus self-test kits to be restricted to 5 per purchase for 3 weeks

Korea's vice health minister tests positive for COVID-19

Vice Health and Welfare Minister Ryu Geun-hyuk speaks during a meeting on the government's response to COVID-19 at the government complex in Sejong, Feb. 9. Yonhap A senior health and welfare ministry official has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said Friday amid worries over a spike in infections of the Omicron variant and its spread among high-ranking government officials.Second Vice Health and Welfare Minister Ryu Geun-hyuk took the polymerase chain reaction examination earlier in the day after having tested positive with a self-test kit, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.He has been deeply involved in anti-pandemic efforts since the second vice ministerial post was launched in September 2020.All of his public schedules have been canceled, and the ministry instructed those who have come in close contact with him to take tests.Ryu's case was the latest in recent infections of high-ranking government officials.On Monday, Koh Seung-beom, chairm

Feb 11, 2022
Korea's vice health minister tests positive for COVID-19

Gov't tries to ease panic buying of COVID-19 test kits

Workers assemble COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits at a factory in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Joint Press CorpsBy Lee Hae-rinThe rapid spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has led to skyrocketing numbers of daily COVID-19 infections, surpassing 50,000, resulting in the panic buying of at-home test kits.The shortage of self-test kits has boosted its prices. As of Friday, at-home test kits are running short in pharmacies and selling online at prices two times more expensive than in offline stores here. For example, a set of rapid antigen test kits manufactured by SD Biosensor, which costs 16,000 won ($13) in pharmacies, is being sold for over 30,000 won online.COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits are sold out at a pharmacy in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapMoreover, the price range of at-home test kits varies vastly, often double or triple the lowest prices online. A set of Rapigen test kits is being sold at between 9,600 won and 25,920 won online. The self-test kits are sold out almost instantly from online sellers that offer them at the lowest prices, reminding some onlin

Feb 11, 2022By Lee Hae-rin
Gov't tries to ease panic buying of COVID-19 test kits

Korea's new COVID-19 cases over 50,000 for 2nd day amid raging Omicron

A man has a nasal swab sample taken by a medical worker at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, Feb. 10. AP-Yonhap Daily COVID-19 infections stayed above 50,000 for the second day in a row Thursday amid the fast spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant across the nation.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 53,926 new cases, including 53,797 local ones, raising the overall total to 1,239,287.This was the second day in a row that the daily tally exceeded the 50,000 level ― a record high of 54,122 was reported for Wednesday.New infections have nearly quadrupled over the past two weeks due to the Omicron variant, which accounted for more than 92 percent of all cases reported last week.The health authorities have warned that the figure could reach 170,000 by around the end of the month, though it is too early to say if this will be the peak of the Omicron surge.The death toll from COVID-19 came to 7,012, up 49 from Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Feb 11, 2022
Korea's new COVID-19 cases over 50,000 for 2nd day amid raging Omicron
  • Gov't considering placing price ceiling on COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits: PM

Gov't considering placing price ceiling on COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits: PM

People wait for a COVID-19 test at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, Feb. 10. AP-Yonhap The government is considering placing a price ceiling on COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday, as at-home testing and treatment has become a key element of the government's response to the pandemic.Kim made the remark during a COVID-19 response meeting in Seoul as the government tries to ensure the stable supply of self-test kits following the initiation of an enhanced at-home treatment system amid soaring virus cases.Driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, the country has repeatedly renewed its daily COVID-19 record, with the latest tally surpassing 50,000. To better deal with the situation, the country began to focus its medical resources on high-risk patients. "It is true there is confusion and misunderstanding after we overhauled the virus response and medical systems ... with emphasis on speed and efficiency," Kim said. "But

Feb 11, 2022
Gov't considering placing price ceiling on COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits: PM
  • Korea's new COVID-19 cases over 50,000 for 2nd day amid raging Omicron

'K-quarantine' on brink of collapse as infections skyrocket

Healthcare workers speak with a COVID-19 patient over the phone from a hospital in Incheon, west of Seoul, Thursday. YonhapDaily new infections hit another new high of 54,122 By Lee Hyo-jin Soaring infections fueled by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus have forced the Korean government to abandon its much-lauded “3T” virus management strategy of “trace, test and treatment.”Dubbed “K-quarantine,” Korea's 3T strategy of massive testing, contact tracing and treatment was once touted as a pandemic response role model for other countries.But the proactive virus response model which puts equal resources on all positive cases has proven to be ineffective against the fast-spreading Omicron variant, which has made it impossible for the government to test and track all cases.Since late January, the government has begun to scrap its previous tactics, replacing them with new measures that focus more on vulnerable groups.Regarding its test scheme, instead of offering polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to anybody, the government has adopted a wider use

Feb 10, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
'K-quarantine' on brink of collapse as infections skyrocket

Korea's new COVID-19 cases soar to all-time high of over 50,000

Commuters wearing face masks wait for their trains at a subway station in Seoul, Feb. 9. AP-Yonhap Daily COVID-19 infections rose sharply to hit another high of over 50,000, Wednesday, amid the fast spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant across the country.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 54,122 new cases, including 54,034 local ones, raising the total to 1,185,361.This was the first time the daily total exceeded 50,000 ― the previous daily record high was 49,567 recorded for Tuesday.The daily caseload surged to over 30,000 for the first time Saturday, just three days after breaking the 20,000 mark, and stayed between 30,000 and 40,000 for four days in a row.New infections have nearly quadrupled over the past two weeks due to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which accounted for more than 92 percent of cases reported last week.The health authorities have warned that the figure could reach 170,000 by around the end of

Feb 10, 2022
Korea's new COVID-19 cases soar to all-time high of over 50,000
  • Revised COVID-19 home treatment scheme sparks concern among low-risk groups

Revised COVID-19 home treatment scheme sparks concern among low-risk groups

A monitor at the disaster control center in Songpa District Office, Seoul, shows an all-time high of 49,567 new COVID-19 infections for Tuesday. YonhapDaily infections hit fresh high of 49,567By Lee Hyo-jin Starting Thursday, low-risk COVID-19 patients who are under home treatment will no longer receive daily health checkup calls from medical workers, under the revised treatment system that focuses more on high-risk patients. As the country grapples with record-breaking numbers of infections fueled by the Omicron variant, the government has decided to implement a new home treatment scheme, in an effort to mobilize available medical resources more effectively. But the new scheme has drawn concerns among those classified as “low-risk,” as they are virtually left on their own to monitor their health condition and contact a hospital if their symptoms worsen. As the highly transmissible Omicron variant has begun to show its full force here, Korea saw yet another record-high daily infection caseload for Tuesday at 49,567, a jump from 38,689 reported the previous day, according

Feb 9, 2022By Lee Hyo-jin
Revised COVID-19 home treatment scheme sparks concern among low-risk groups
  • Teachers, parents disagree over gov't leaving quarantine management up to schools
  • Korea's new COVID-19 cases soar to all-time high of over 50,000

Teachers, parents disagree over gov't leaving quarantine management up to schools

Students head to schools in Seoul in this Dec. 20, 2021 photo. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiTeachers and parents are showing mixed responses to the education ministry's new guidelines. The new guidelines leave the decision of whether to hold in-person or online classes for the spring semester up to the school.Teachers' unions are criticizing the government for passing the responsibility for quarantine policy on to the schools, while parents are claiming that academic achievement differences should not widen further despite their concerns over the easing of measures to control the spread of COVID-19. Under the new guidelines, schools can change their attendance policy for the new semester depending on the number of infections among their students. To structure these decisions, the ministry suggested a new four-stage system for schools to respond to the virus situation individually, in order to minimize uncertainty among parents and teachers. At levels 1 and 2, schools will run in-person classes, though extracurricular activities will be restricted under level 2. Under level 3, classes will be

Feb 9, 2022By Bahk Eun-ji
Teachers, parents disagree over gov't leaving quarantine management up to schools
  • Korea's daily COVID-19 cases hit all-time high of nearly 50,000
  • Revised COVID-19 home treatment scheme sparks concern among low-risk groups
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