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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.

Signs show Korea has entered 4th wave of infections

People stand in line at a makeshift coronavirus testing site in front of Seoul Station, Thursday. YonhapBy Lee Hyo-jin Korea may be at the beginning of a fourth big wave of COVID-19 infections, according to health experts, with the daily caseload reaching its highest level in three months amid sporadic cluster infections across the country. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the country reported 700 daily new cases for Wednesday, the highest level in 91 days, bringing the total caseload to 107,598. Among the new cases were 674 local infections and 26 cases from overseas.Medical experts who viewed that Korea has already entered its fourth wave of infections expressed concerns that the daily caseload could cross into the thousands unless the government introduces tighter social distancing measures, considering deepened public fatigue from the year-long pandemic and increased outdoor activities in the warming weather. Jacob Lee, an infectious disease specialist at Hallym University Medical Center, wrote on Facebook, “Experts have been warning of a

Apr 8, 2021By Lee Hyo-jin
Signs show Korea has entered 4th wave of infections
  • EU, UK regulators find possible link between AstraZeneca and rare blood clots
  • Korea to resume AstraZeneca jabs amid lingering safety woes
  • Korea to extend current social distancing measures: PM

Korea to resume AstraZeneca jabs amid lingering safety woes

Vial labelled "AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine" placed on displayed EU flag is seen in this illustration picture taken March 24. ReutersSouth Korea's health authorities on Thursday said they will resume administering AstraZeneca vaccines one day after suspending the vaccination program for certain groups over its safety, saying they will officially decide the issue over the weekend.On Wednesday, the country suspended the use of vaccines by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant and Oxford University for people under age 60, special education instructors and school nurses.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) stressed the need to continue with the nationwide inoculation program as the benefits of administering the vaccines outweigh the risks.The KDCA said a team of outside experts will thoroughly review the latest rare cases of blood clots from both home and abroad, and announce the result over the weekend.The European drug safety agency, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), is also due to announce the results of a review on whether some cases of

Apr 8, 2021
Korea to resume AstraZeneca jabs amid lingering safety woes
  • EU, UK regulators find possible link between AstraZeneca and rare blood clots
  • New virus cases most in 3 months
  • Signs show Korea has entered 4th wave of infections

PM orders full review of EMA's findings before resuming use of AstraZeneca vaccine

A vial of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is seen at a vaccination center amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Ronquieres, Belgium, April 6. ReutersPrime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Thursday ordered health authorities to thoroughly and swiftly review the latest findings by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on the safety of AstraZeneca's vaccine.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency should "swiftly reach a scientific conclusion on the findings and share the results with the public in a transparent manner," he said. While rare blood clots have been reported among people administered with the vaccine, the EMA said "the benefits (of administering the vaccine) outweigh the risks," he added. On Wednesday, the country suspended the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine for people under age 60, special education instructors and school nurses to "prioritize people's health and safety." Later that day, the EMA announced there is a "possible link" between the vaccine and unusual blood clot cases. The government will decide on resuming use of AstraZeneca's vaccine for the group after closely

Apr 8, 2021
PM orders full review of EMA's findings before resuming use of AstraZeneca vaccine
  • EU, UK regulators find possible link between AstraZeneca and rare blood clots

New virus cases most in 3 months

People wearing face masks pass by a banner displaying precautions against the coronavirus on a street in Seoul, April 5. APSouth Korea's daily new coronavirus cases hit the highest in three months Thursday amid rising concerns that the country's vaccination campaign may hit a snag due to safety concerns over AstraZeneca jabs, possibly making the targeted herd immunity by November elusive.The country reported 700 more COVID-19 cases, including 674 local infections, raising the total caseload to 107,598, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It marked the highest level since 870 cases on Jan. 7 and a rise from 668 on Wednesday.The country added two more deaths from COVID-19, increasing the total to 1,758. The fatality rate came to 1.63 percent.Authorities have been grappling with the rising number of new cases sparked by increased spring travel and loosened vigilance against the virus and warned that enhanced virus curbs may be adopted to flatten the curve.On Friday, health authorities plan to decide whether to maintain or raise the current social distancing guid

Apr 8, 2021
New virus cases most in 3 months
  • Korea to resume AstraZeneca jabs amid lingering safety woes

Korea suspends AstraZeneca vaccination programs due to concerns over blood clots

Head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Jeong Eun-kyeong puts back on her jacket after getting a jab of AstraZeneca vaccine at a local medical service center in Cheongju's Heungdeok District in North Chungcheong Province, April 1. YonhapSouth Korea decided Wednesday to suspend a AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination program for people younger than 60 due to concerns related to blood clots.Set to start on Thursday, AstraZeneca vaccination programs for special education instructors and teachers at kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools, about 70,000 in total, will also be suspended.The decision came as the European Medicine Agency (EMA), the European Union's medicines regulator, is set to hold a meeting this week to review cases of blood clots found in people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine.With the disruption in the vaccination schedule, South Korea may be hard pressed to achieve herd immunity by November."We made this pre-emptive decision to put the safety of people receiving COVID-19 vaccines above all else," said Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Diseas

Apr 7, 2021
Korea suspends AstraZeneca vaccination programs due to concerns over blood clots
  • EU, UK regulators find possible link between AstraZeneca and rare blood clots

Korea's population continues to decline in first quarter

A group of people, mostly elderly, crowds a corner of Jongno 3-ga road in Seoul's Jongno District. Korea Times fileSouth Korea's population continued to decrease during the first quarter of this year as deaths outnumbered births, government data showed Wednesday.As of March 31, the nation's registered population stood at 51,705,905, down 0.24 percent from 51,829,023 tallied at the end of 2020, when the population fell for the first time on record, according to census figures from the Ministry of Interior and Safety.Natural decrease accounted for 10,370 while the remaining 116,177 people were deregistered after a residency survey. The number of newborns totaled 68,099, surpassed by 78,469 deaths during the three months. The number of births decreased 7.6 percent from the same period of last year and 45.7 percent from 10 years ago. The number of deaths dropped 3.5 percent from the same period of last year, but increased 15.5 percent from a decade ago.Women outnumbered men by 25,918,515 (50.1 percent) to 25,787,390 (49.9 percent), down 0.27 percent and 0.21 percent, respectively, from t

Apr 7, 2021
Korea's population continues to decline in first quarter

Will government halt exports of AZ vaccine produced in Korea?

A vial of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine is pictured in a pharmacy in Boulogne Billancourt, outside Paris, in this March 15 photo. The Korean government signaled that it could place a hold on exports of the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in the country amid a global vaccine shortage, but many health experts said the measure would be unrealistic. AP-YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeThe government has hinted that it could halt exports of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine manufactured here amid mounting concerns over a global vaccine shortage. Such a move comes amid growing “vaccine nationalism” around the world, with India and the European Union (EU), among others, having placed restrictions on exports of vaccines, triggering difficulties for many other countries in securing sufficient doses.Jeong Yoo-jin, a senior official who oversees the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines here, said Tuesday that the government was “considering all possible means to secure ample vaccines at the right time.” The comments were in response to a reporter's question about whether the government was

Apr 7, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Will government halt exports of AZ vaccine produced in Korea?

South Korea approves Janssen's COVID-19 vaccine

Janssen Korea's factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of Janssen KoreaSouth Korea's drug safety agency on Wednesday approved the COVID-19 vaccine by Johnson Johnson's Janssen as it showed around 66 percent efficacy against the new coronavirus, becoming the third vaccine approved here.The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety authorized the use of Janssen's one-shot regimen as the vaccine is effective in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19 infections among adults aged 18 and older.It marked the third COVID-19 vaccine approved by South Korean authorities following those by British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University and by Pfizer Inc.The country signed a contract with Janssen for 6 million bottles for its vaccine rollout. The bottles are scheduled to be provided in the third quarter.Since South Korea began its vaccination campaign on Feb. 26, a total of 1.03 million people, or 1.99 percent of the 52 million population, have received their first shots.AstraZeneca's vaccine has been given to 887,452 people, while 151,614 received that of Pfizer, accor

Apr 7, 2021
South Korea approves Janssen's COVID-19 vaccine

Gov't to expand free coronavirus testing to prevent new wave of infections

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, right, speaks during a COVID-19 countermeasure safety meeting at North Jeolla Provincial Office in Jeonju, April 7, with the office head Song Ha-jin, left, attending the meeting. YonhapPrime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Wednesday the government will expand free coronavirus testing, with recent spikes in new cases spurring concerns of a fourth wave of infections. The country reported 668 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the most since Feb. 18, as sporadic cluster infections continued to increase across the country. "We will expand free testing so that anyone can get a free coronavirus diagnostic test regardless of the social distancing stage or symptoms," Chung said during a government COVID-19 response meeting. The nation offers free testing when a test-taker shows symptoms or the third-highest level in the five-tier social distancing scheme is reached. "If a fourth wave of infections becomes a reality, vaccination will be inevitably disrupted and the economy will be dealt a serious blow," Chung said during the meeting held at the North Jeolla provincia

Apr 7, 2021
Gov't to expand free coronavirus testing to prevent new wave of infections
  • New virus cases on Wednesday most since January, another wave of pandemic looming

New virus cases on Wednesday most since January, another wave of pandemic looming

Twenty one employees of Ministry of Employment and Labor's National Labor Consultation Center in Ulsan's Jung District were tested positive to COVID-19 in a cluster infection on April 6. YonhapSouth Korea reported the most new coronavirus cases since mid-February Wednesday as sporadic cluster infections continued to pile up across the country, raising concerns that the country may again grapple with another wave of the pandemic.The country reported 668 more COVID-19 cases, including 653 local infections, raising the total caseload to 106,898, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. It marked a sharp rise from 478 the previous day and the largest since 621 daily infections on Feb. 18.The daily caseload had been hovering above 500 since Wednesday last week, before falling to 473 on Monday due to fewer COVID-19 tests over the weekend. The country added four more deaths from COVID-19, increasing the total to 1,756. The fatality rate came to 1.64 percent.South Korea has been reporting more than 300 daily new patients since early February with no signs of letup due to

Apr 7, 2021
New virus cases on Wednesday most since January, another wave of pandemic looming
  • Gov't to expand free coronavirus testing to prevent new wave of infections
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