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New virus cases fall back to 500s, vaccination drive accelerates

People stand in line at a temporary COVID-19 testing center set up in Seoul Station, June 6. YonhapSouth Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back to the 500s on Sunday due to less testing over the weekend, while the country's COVID-19 vaccine rollout is gathering pace.The country reported 556 more COVID-19 cases, including 541 local infections, raising the total caseload to 144,152, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.The tally fell from 744 on Saturday and 695 Friday, but the decline was attributable to fewer tests over the weekend.The number of daily virus cases stayed in the 600s for the third straight day Friday as sporadic infections continued to erupt in workplaces, restaurants, bars and saunas.There were two additional fatalities, raising the total death toll to 1,973.Health authorities are grappling with a continued increase in cluster infections and more transmissible variant cases, while ramping up efforts for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.The KDCA said at the current rollout pace, the country will be able to give at least the first shots to more

Jun 6, 2021
New virus cases fall back to 500s, vaccination drive accelerates

Tech prowess underpins vaccination drive in Korea

A healthcare worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Seoul, June 4. YonhapKim Ji-woo (alias), a 36-year-old office worker, found herself near the end of the line to get a COVID-19 vaccine, as she is not among the groups that are prioritized in the country's nationwide inoculation plan.But she learned that the newly-launched "leftover" vaccine booking system was a way for her to "cut in line" and get the vaccination that would allow her to gradually return to normal life. Anybody older than 30 who is not yet officially eligible to receive vaccine shots can sign up to get the so-called no-show doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines either through the internet portal Naver or top mobile messenger KakaoTalk.Mindful of missing out, Kim hurriedly logged onto the vaccine reservation system on her smartphone as soon as it opened in late May, and was able to make an appointment to receive an AstraZeneca vaccine at a small clinic on the outskirts of Seoul."I knew from previous experience that slots get filled up within a matter of seconds," Kim said. "I

Jun 6, 2021
Tech prowess underpins vaccination drive in Korea

Over 1 million doses of JJ vaccine from US arrive in South Korea

Work to unload Johnson Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 vaccine from a cargo plane is underway at Seoul Airport, June 5. YonhapMore than 1 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen COVID-19 vaccine arrived in South Korea from the United States, Saturday, in what Seoul and Washington officials touted as a sign of the two countries' robust alliance.The KC-330 military aircraft carrying vaccine for 1.01 million people arrived at 12:40 a.m. at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, after it departed from an air base on the U.S. west coast Thursday (local time), officials said.The shipment came after U.S. President Joe Biden pledged during last month's summit with President Moon Jae-in that his administration will offer vaccinations for South Korea's 550,000 active service members, who work closely with U.S. troops here. Washington later nearly doubled the shipment volume. Seoul plans to use them to inoculate reserve forces, civil defense members and others in charge of defense and foreign affairs.Officials from the government and the U.S. Embassy, including Vice Defense Minist

Jun 5, 2021
Over 1 million doses of JJ vaccine from US arrive in South Korea

New COVID-19 cases rise above 700 amid sporadic infections across nation

A man gets a COVID-19 testing at a makeshift testing site near Seoul Station, June 5. Yonhap Daily new COVID-19 cases bounced back to over 700 here for Friday, as infection clusters continued to sprout up nationwide despite a stepped-up vaccination campaign. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 744 more coronavirus cases, including 725 local infections, and raising the total caseload to 143,596. The latest tally marked the highest since May 26 when 706 new cases were reported.There were two additional fatalities, raising the total death toll to 1,971.This week, the country has seen its daily virus count rise from 430 last Sunday to 677 on Wednesday and 695 on Thursday, as sporadic infections continued to erupt at workplaces, restaurants, bars and saunas.The health authorities remain on guard against continued infections and more transmissible variant cases while ramping up efforts to inoculate the elderly population, who are considered mor

Jun 5, 2021
New COVID-19 cases rise above 700 amid sporadic infections across nation

New cases in 600s for 3rd day

A visitor wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus walks along a stream in Seoul, June 3. AP-YonhapSouth Korea's daily new coronavirus cases reached nearly 700 Friday on cluster infections in various settings, while the vaccination drive for the vulnerable population and priority groups gathers steam. The country reported 695 more COVID-19 cases, including 674 local infections, raising the total caseload to 133,289, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.The daily caseload remained in the 600s for the third consecutive day as cluster infections in schools, workplaces and bars continued to pop up across the nation.There was one additional death, raising the total to 1,969. Health authorities remain on guard against sporadic infections and more transmissible variant cases while ramping up efforts to inoculate the elderly population, who are considered more vulnerable to the coronavirus. The southwestern city of Daegu on Thursday strengthened its virus curbs in response to a sharp hike in additional patients and the rise of British variant cases.

Jun 4, 2021
New cases in 600s for 3rd day

Koreans signing up for COVID-19 vaccines

A man waits for his turn at a COVID-19 vaccination center in Seoul, June 3. YonhapPark Young-gle, an office worker living in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, had lingering concerns about getting a COVID-19 vaccine when a call arrived from a local clinic saying she was next up in line for a leftover shot. "Reports and rumors about blood clots related to younger people still bothered me, but I figured that the benefit of getting vaccinated is greater than the risk of that going wrong," the 31-year-old said. People aged over 30 in South Korea, like Park, can apply for leftover vaccines from "no-show" appointments. Fortunately, Park had no post-vaccination symptoms. "I just wanted to be able to get my old life back, even if it means getting back a small part of it," Park said. South Korea began its nationwide inoculation on Feb. 26, starting off with essential personnel, like police officers and medical staff members.Contrary to health authorities' expectations for high turnouts, there was a great deal of hesitancy about getting the shots, largely driven by safety concerns over AstraZeneca

Jun 4, 2021
Koreans signing up for COVID-19 vaccines

2 in 3 Seoulites in 20s, 30s say life is hard in Korea: survey

gettyimagesbankNearly 2 out of 3 Seoulites in their 20s and 30s believe South Korea is not an ideal country for them to live in, a survey showed Thursday. The Seoul Institute, a city-run think tank, said it polled 1,000 Seoul residents between the ages of 20 and 39 from July 7-14 last year and found that 65.5 percent disagreed with the statement "Compared with other countries, Korea is a country where young people can live reasonably well." Of the 65.5 percent, 32.1 percent completely disagreed and 33.4 percent somewhat disagreed with the statement. Only 10 percent said they believe they can lead a good enough life here, while the remaining 24.5 percent said they neither disagree nor agree with the statement.On the question of whether those in their 20s and 30s have more social and economic opportunities than those in their 40s and 50s, 63.3 percent responded negatively. Only 18.1 percent answered positively.On the statement "Our society guarantees a fair outcome in line with efforts," 60.4 percent said they completely or somewhat disagreed, while 14.3 percent strongly or somewhat ag

Jun 3, 2021
2 in 3 Seoulites in 20s, 30s say life is hard in Korea: survey

Daegu-arranged Pfizer vaccine offer improper: gov't

A vial and syringe are seen in front of a displayed Pfizer logo in this image from Jan. 11. Reuters-YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeWith Daegu City having asked the central government to purchase Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines arranged by the city administration, the government said those vaccines are believed to come from an irregular trade path, thus they cannot be supplied to Korea. Sohn Young-rae, spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said Wednesday, “We need to check more details, but we have confirmed that the vaccines cannot be supplied to Korea as they come from an improper path.”The comments came after Daegu City and doctors' and medical institutions' associations in the city claimed recently that they had been pushing to obtain Pfizer vaccines for 30 million people through German company BioNTech, which teamed up with Pfizer on its vaccine. They have also sent the health ministry relevant documents showing that those vaccines can be delivered within three weeks.Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin said during a regular COVID-19 response meeting in the city, Monday, “We a

Jun 3, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Daegu-arranged Pfizer vaccine offer improper: gov't

New cases bounce back to near 700

A medical worker takes samples for COVID-19 at a makeshift testing center near Seoul Station in central Seoul, June 1. YonhapSouth Korea's daily new coronavirus cases remained in the 600s for the second consecutive day Thursday due to continued cluster infections, and the country's inoculation drive is on a roll with a smooth vaccine supply.The country reported 681 more COVID-19 cases, including 672 local infections, raising the total caseload to 142,157, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.The daily caseload remained in the 400s for the past three days partly due to fewer tests over the weekend. There were three additional deaths, raising the total to 1,968.The proportion of untraceable cases stood at 28 percent over the past week, complicating authorities' antivirus efforts.As the vaccine rollout among the elderly population gains pace, social distancing guidelines were partly eased for vaccinated people Tuesday. While up to eight immediate family members are currently allowed to gather, those who have received at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccines are exem

Jun 3, 2021
New cases bounce back to near 700

Medical union says nurses are being ordered to conduct illegal medical procedures

Nurses wearing masks to hide their identities participate in a press conference organized by the Korea Health and Medical Workers' Union, May 12. The event was held to reveal publicly the struggles of nurses who are frequently forced to take on the duties of doctors, thus conducting illegal medical procedures against their will. Yonhap By Lee Hyo-jin A physician assistant (PA) nurse with 12 years of experience working at a general hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, said he once made an incision in a patient's abdomen to cover for the surgeon who showed up late. He has also performed some surgical procedures requiring the skills of a licensed doctor, such as an abdominal drainage tube insertion and a bowel resection. But these procedures cannot be found in any medical records as they are officially illegal medical practices according to the Medical Law, which prohibits medical personnel from performing procedures beyond the scope of their licenses. The PA's te

Jun 3, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Medical union says nurses are being ordered to conduct illegal medical procedures
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