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Korea enters 4th wave of pandemic

People stand in line to receive a coronavirus test at a testing center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. YonhapPM warns of strongest social distancing measuresBy Lee Hyo-jin Korea is now experiencing a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the health authorities, with the daily caseload for Tuesday reaching the second-highest since the coronavirus outbreak here. In response, the authorities decided to keep the current social distancing level for Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area, but warned that it may be raised to the highest anytime soon if the current upward trend prevails. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 1,212 daily new cases for Tuesday, the largest since Dec. 24 when they reached 1,240 at the peak of the third wave of infections.The increase is mainly concentrated in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where 85 percent of the 1,168 local transmissions were reported. By age group, the KDCA said the virus is spreading among people in their 20s and 30s who are socially active, and most of whom have not yet r

Jul 7, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea enters 4th wave of pandemic

Seoul to reduce bus, subway schedules by 20% after 10 pm

gettyimagesbankSeoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said Wednesday the city will reduce bus and subway schedules by 20 percent after 10 p.m. to stem the recent resurgence of COVID-19.At a press briefing, Oh said bus schedules will be scaled back starting Thursday and subway schedules starting Friday."We are asking people to refrain from non-essential travel as much as possible," he said.The city government took similar action late last year during the third wave of the pandemic by cutting public transportation by 30 percent after 9 p.m.The capital city reported 583 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, the biggest number since the start of the pandemic, as the virus has spread especially among people in their 20s and 30s who have largely been ineligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines. The country as a whole reported 1,212 new cases, the second-highest after 1,240 on Dec. 25. (Yonhap)

Jul 7, 2021
Seoul to reduce bus, subway schedules by 20% after 10 pm

Zero tolerance against social distancing violations; Moon

President Moon Jae-in / YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in instructed the government Wednesday to step up efforts to speedily trace COVID-19 infections amid a sharp hike in confirmed cases.He called for the establishment of more temporary testing centers in areas with many residents or visitors and swift mobilization of military personnel, police officers and civil servants to that end, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee.The president ordered "preemptive" steps to expand testing on people related to high-risk facilities frequented by those in their 20s and 30s, and expand anonymous testing to raise participation rates.Moon also reaffirmed a strict principle of zero tolerance against acts of violating social distancing rules and other public heath restrictions.Moon's message came hours after South Korea's health authorities reported more than 1,200 additional virus cases, the highest daily count here in half a year.The country is struggling to fight against a burgeoning fourth wave of the pandemic, with the highly contagious delta variant spreading fast, especially in the

Jul 7, 2021
Zero tolerance against social distancing violations; Moon

New virus cases soar to second-highest since beginning of pandemic

A poster hoping to overcome the COVID-19 crisis is displayed at a train station in Seoul, July 6. AP-YonhapSouth Korea's daily new virus cases spiked by the most since late December on Wednesday, fanning fears of a fourth wave of outbreaks over the summer. Health authorities decided to extend current distancing curbs in the greater Seoul area for one week but warned of further tougher measures unless the current situation is brought under control.The country reported 1,212 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,168 local infections, raising the total caseload to 162,753, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.It marked the highest number since Dec. 25 last year, when a third wave of outbreaks peaked when the comparable figure was 1,240. Wednesday's figure is compared with 746 on Tuesday, 711 on Monday and 743 on Sunday. The country added one more COVID-19 death, raising the death toll to 2,033.Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said current social distancing rules, including a ban on private gatherings of five or more people and a 10 p.m. curfew on restaurants, in the greater

Jul 7, 2021
New virus cases soar to second-highest since beginning of pandemic

Israel, Korea agree COVID vaccine swap

Vials of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine are pictured at a Magen David Adom mobile vaccination center during a campaign by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality to encourage the immunization of teenagers, on July 5, in Tel Aviv. AFP-YonhapIsrael agreed a Covid vaccine swap with South Korea Tuesday, sending 700,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab to Seoul "immediately" in return for the same number in coming months. A statement from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said the deal, the first of its kind for Israel, would allow more effective use of the vaccine stocks of both countries.The statement added that Bennett had spoken to Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla about the arrangement.Israel received a huge supply of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine shortly after its approval last year following an arrangement with the producers to share data about its impact. That deal helped Israel roll out one of the world's fastest inoculation drives but has also raised concerns about unused stock expiring.The Palestinian Authority last month cancelled a deal that would have seen a million jabs fr

Jul 6, 2021
Israel, Korea agree COVID vaccine swap

Daily coronavirus cases surge over 1,000 for first time in six months

People stand in line to get COVID-19 testing at a temporary screening station in western Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapSouth Korea confirmed over 1,000 new coronavirus cases Tuesday for the first time in six months amid a resurgence in the Seoul metropolitan area, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.The country reported 1,145 more COVID-19 cases from 12 a.m. to 9 p.m. That number is expected to further rise when the daily total is announced Wednesday morning.The figure shot up to over 1,000 for the first time since Jan. 3 when the nation was undergoing a third wave of the pandemic, raising concerns over the fourth wave hitting in the summer. The number of new cases compiled in over the past 21-hour period was already the second highest following the record high of 1,240 set on Dec. 25.On Tuesday morning, the KDCA announced 746 additional cases for the past 24-hour period. It reported 711 cases on Monday, 743 on Sunday, 794 on Saturday and 826 on Friday, which marked a nearly six-month high due to the sharp spike in new cases in the Seoul metropolitan area.Numbers tend

Jul 6, 2021
Daily coronavirus cases surge over 1,000 for first time in six months

Ex-lawmaker raises controversy for calling Korea's virus control measures 'totalitarian'

By Ko Dong-hwan A photo of Hong Jung-wook outside in New York, posted on Facebook, June 27 / Screenshot from Facebook Hong Jung-wook, an ex-lawmaker, who is now chairman of the food company Organica, has caused a stir after calling Korea's COVID-19 control measures “totalitarian” while praising the speed of the U.S.'s vaccination drive and return to normal daily life in his latest Facebook post.Hong wrote July 5 that it took him less than five minutes at customs upon arriving in New York to check his health regarding COVID-19 and that wearing a mask was optional.“The country that has seen the world's highest number of casualties due to COVID-19 is now returning to daily life quickly,” he said. “On the other hand, it takes about an hour to enter Korea. For even vaccinated people like me, they have me write in an app, call me and send me text messages every day, only to hear me say, 'no symptoms.'”Hong, who served in the National Assembly from 2008-2012, said that Korea

Jul 6, 2021By Ko Dong-hwan
Ex-lawmaker raises controversy for calling Korea's virus control measures 'totalitarian'

Calls rise to strengthen quarantine measures for greater Seoul area

People stand in line to receive a coronavirus test at a makeshift testing center at an elementary school in Incheon, Tuesday. The health authorities are conducting a mass testing there after 23 students at the school have tested positive for the virus, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). YonhapKorea, Israel sign 'vaccine swap'By Lee Hyo-jin Calls are rising for the government to strengthen social distancing measures in the greater Seoul area, as the current level is failing to curb rapidly spreading new COVID-19 infections in the region. Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Incheon were initially under Level 2 distancing under a new four-tier system adopted this month, but the central and local governments decided June 30 not to ease the distancing rules immediately, delaying the adoption of the new system for a week.The central government will announce, Wednesday, what level will be implemented for the metropolitan area from Thursday.Amid this situation, people are calling for a tightening of the current measures, as the current ones ― inc

Jul 6, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Calls rise to strengthen quarantine measures for greater Seoul area

Seoul to ban drinking at parks, riverside after 10 pm

gettyimagesbankThe Seoul metropolitan government said Tuesday it will temporarily ban drinking at parks and by the Han River from 10 p.m. until the morning hours starting the same day.The ban was announced Sunday as part of the central government's toughened social distancing guidelines for the capital area, which has recently seen a spike in COVID-19 cases.The city government said it will begin enforcing the ban at 10 p.m. Tuesday under an administrative order."Those who are caught (in violation) will first be given guidance and then fined if they fail to follow orders," Park Yoo-mi, a disease control official at the city government, said during a press briefing, asking the public to refrain from drinking outdoors at late hours regardless of the fine. (Yonhap)

Jul 6, 2021
Seoul to ban drinking at parks, riverside after 10 pm
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