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Parents raising concerns over full return to in-person classes amid virus resurgence

Seniors at Yongin High School in Busan attend in-person classes, June 28, after the city government allowed schools in the region to reopen in full as COVID-19 infections had dwindled. The Ministry of Education plans to resume fully in-person classes nationwide starting in the fall semester, but parents are raising concerns over the plan, due to the latest spike in infections. YonhapWorkers ask gov't to implement full-scale work-from-home policies By Jun Ji-hyeParents are raising concerns over the Ministry of Education's plan to resume fully in-person classes nationwide starting in the fall semester, amid the recent resurgence in new COVID-19 cases here, in addition to the increasing rate of infection by variants of the coronavirus, especially the highly transmissible Delta strain. They are claiming that the ministry should reconsider the plan as sporadic infection clusters have already been occurring in schools.“Students have yet to be vaccinated as they come almost last in the list, and younger ones are not on the list at all. I don't understand why the government is planning

Jul 5, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Parents raising concerns over full return to in-person classes amid virus resurgence

Korea in talks with mRNA vaccine makers to make up to 1 billion doses

Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines / Reuters-Yonhap South Korea is in talks with mRNA vaccine makers including Pfizer and Moderna to produce COVID-19 shots in the country and is ready to offer the capacity to make up to 1 billion doses immediately, a senior government official said.The plan, if agreed, would help ease tight global supply of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly in Asia which lags North America and Europe in vaccine rollouts, and put South Korea a step closer to its ambition to become a major vaccine manufacturing center.South Korea already has deals to locally produce three coronavirus vaccines developed by AstraZeneca/Oxford University, Novavax, and Russia. It also has a vaccine bottling and packaging deal with Moderna."We've been holding frequent talks with big pharmaceutical companies to produce mRNA vaccines," Lee Kang-ho, director general for the global vaccine hub committee under South Korea's health ministry, told Reuters in an interview."There a

Jul 5, 2021
Korea in talks with mRNA vaccine makers to make up to 1 billion doses

New cases over 700 for 3rd day as delta variant shows signs of spreading

A medical worker wearing protective gear wears plastic gloves in the sweltering heat at a coronavirus testing site in Seoul, July 2. AP-YonhapSouth Korea's daily new virus cases stayed in the 700s for the third day in a row Monday, as health authorities warned against the spread of the more contagious delta coronavirus variant.The country reported 711 more COVID-19 cases, including 644 local infections, raising the total caseload to 160,795, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.The latest figure is down from 826 on Friday, 794 on Saturday and 743 on Sunday, and a nearly six-month high due to the sharp spike in new cases in the Seoul metropolitan area. The country added two more COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 2,028.New cases spiked to close to levels unseen since January, when the nation was gripped by the third wave of the pandemic, with many cases from schools, private institutions, restaurants, indoor gyms and entertainment venues.New cases in the greater Seoul area, home to half of the nation's 51 million population, have accounted for over 80 pe

Jul 5, 2021
New cases over 700 for 3rd day as delta variant shows signs of spreading

New cases over 700 for 2nd day; wider Seoul on alert over upsurge

A medical worker takes test samples for COVID-19 at a makeshift testing center near Seoul Station, July 4. YonhapSouth Korea's daily new virus cases stayed in the 700s for the second day Sunday, while authorities tighten their guard against a virus resurgence in the greater Seoul area.The country reported 743 more COVID-19 cases, including 662 local infections, raising the total caseload to 160,085, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest figure is down from 794 on Saturday and 826 on Friday, a nearly six-month high due to the sharp spike in new cases in the Seoul metropolitan area. However, it marked this year's highest level for any Sunday, when new cases usually remain lower than weekdays due to fewer tests.The country added one more death, raising the death toll to 2,026. With the coronavirus showing no signs of slowing down, health authorities made it mandatory for vaccinated people in the greater Seoul area to wear masks, whether indoors or outdoors.The government also plans to restrict the entry of Korean passengers from Indonesia unless they pr

Jul 4, 2021
New cases over 700 for 2nd day; wider Seoul on alert over upsurge

Moon receives reply from Austrian nurses known for helping Korean patients

Two Austrian nurses, well known here for their longtime devotion to helping patients in South Korea, have written to President Moon Jae-in in response to his recent personal message and gifts sent to them. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae, YonhapTwo Austrian nurses, well known here for their longtime devotion to helping patients in South Korea, have written to President Moon Jae-in in response to his recent personal message and gifts sent to them, Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday.Marianne Stoger and Margaret Pissarek / Courtesy of Korea Nurses AssociationMoon delivered his message of gratitude and the gifts of Korean red ginseng and blankets to Marianne Stoger and Margaret Pissarek, June 23, via South Korean Ambassador to Austria Shin Chae-hyun.Moon visited Vienna the previous week for a summit with his Austrian counterpart but could not meet the Catholic nuns, as they live too far away from the capital.Stoger sent a handwritten reply and postcards to the President and first lady Kim Jung-sook via the ambassador, the presidential office said. She conveyed Pissarek's message as well, adding that

Jul 3, 2021
Moon receives reply from Austrian nurses known for helping Korean patients

Korea reports 794 additional COVID-19 cases

The health authorities confirmed 794 new COVID-19 infections for Friday, amid worries about a potential fourth wave of large-scale infections nationwide. YonhapThe health authorities confirmed 794 new COVID-19 infections for Friday, amid worries about a potential fourth wave of large-scale infections nationwide.The number is down from 826 recorded Thursday, but marked the second consecutive day that the country's daily new coronavirus cases have stayed at around 800.Among the additional infections, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 748 locally transmitted ones and 46 imported, as the total caseload came to 159,342, with one more death, raising the toll to 2,025 at a mortality rate of 1.27 percent. By region, 353 cases were found in Seoul, 247 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and 14 in Incheon, accounting for 82.1 percent of the new daily infections.The number of new cases in the greater Seoul area has now remained above 600 for four straight days amid infection clusters and the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.The KDCA said 813 patients

Jul 3, 2021
Korea reports 794 additional COVID-19 cases

Korea faces critical moment in COVID-19 response: PM

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, right, speaks during a press briefing on COVID-19 response at the Government Complex in Seoul, Friday. YonhapNew cases soar to nearly six-month highBy Bahk Eun-jiThe country's anti-COVID-19 measures face a critical moment, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum warned Friday, adding that the government is ready to strengthen quarantine measures and tighten the social distancing level at any time.The warning came as the number of daily new COVID-19 cases exceeded 800, Thursday, for the first time in about half a year, raising concerns over the sharp increase in new cases among unvaccinated young people in the metropolitan area and the spread of the Delta variant. If such cases are not controlled properly, experts worry that the number of daily new cases here could rise to more than 1,000 a day in summer, which could lead to another wave of the pandemic. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Korea added 826 more COVID-19 cases, Thursday, including 765 local infections, marking the largest since Jan. 7 when it reached 869. The total casel

Jul 2, 2021By Bahk Eun-ji
Korea faces critical moment in COVID-19 response: PM

New cases at nearly 6-month high

Visitors wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus walk through a sunflower field during the lunch break in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, July 1. AP-YonhapSouth Korea's daily new virus cases soared to a nearly six-month high Friday as infections in the greater Seoul area continued to spike amid woes over a potential surge in variant cases. The country reported 826 more COVID-19 cases, including 765 local infections, raising the total caseload to 158,549, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The daily caseload marks the largest since Jan. 7 when it reached 869. The latest figure is sharply up from 762 cases a day earlier.The country added three more deaths, raising the death toll to 2,024.The daily new cases in the greater Seoul area have accounted for over 80 percent of the total for a week, according to health authorities.As outdoor activities have soared and the new infections from the highly contagious Delta variants have been on the increase in recent days, chances are very high that the new virus cases will further spike, they added. The surge

Jul 2, 2021
New cases at nearly 6-month high

Mask exemption for vaccinated people goes into effect but many reluctant to go maskless

Vaccinated civil servants who belong to a fire service department talks without wearing masks in a public park in Hongseong, central South Korea, Thursday. YonhapStarting Thursday, anyone who has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine more than two weeks ago is allowed to go maskless when outdoors.The mask exemption for those who are partially or fully vaccinated took effect across the country at the beginning of July, as part of the government's incentives aimed at boosting the nation's vaccination rate.The exemption came nearly one year after mask wearing became mandatory here on Aug. 23 last year. The exemption does not apply to outdoor rallies, concert halls, sports stadiums, amusement parks and other outdoor facilities where many people gather.Some vaccinated people were spotted walking around without wearing masks in parks and secluded places in Seoul and other major cities nationwide.But the majority of them still appear reluctant to go maskless in outdoor public spaces, particularly due to a recent spike in new COVID-19 cases.South Korea's daily new virus cases rema

Jul 1, 2021
Mask exemption for vaccinated people goes into effect but many reluctant to go maskless
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