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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.

Window seats only

Passengers wearing personal protective equipment sit in window seats on a KTX train at Seoul Station, Tuesday, as KORAIL has announced it will only sell tickets for window seats in line with the government's enhanced social distancing rules amid the third wave of COVID-19 infections. / Yonhap

Dec 8, 2020
Window seats only

Health experts skeptical on COVID-19 vaccine procurement plans

Health Minister Park Neung-hoo speaks about Korea's vaccine procurement plans during a briefing at the Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. / YonhapKorea secures vaccines for 44 million peopleBy Lee Hyo-jin Health experts have shown skepticism over the government's “belated” COVID-19 vaccine procurement plans, saying that the pre-purchased supply may be insufficient to form herd immunity.The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Tuesday that it had secured enough supply of coronavirus vaccines for approximately 44 million people or roughly 85 percent of the population. It has obtained 64 million doses available for 34 million people through separate contracts with four pharmaceutical companies ― 20 million doses each from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna ― requiring two doses per person ― and 4 million doses from Janssen.Another 20 million doses to vaccinate 10 million people will be acquired through COVAX Facility, a multinational initiative aimed at developing and deploying COVID-19 vaccines.The ministry has already signed a deal with AstraZeneca, and legally binding ag

Dec 8, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Health experts skeptical on COVID-19 vaccine procurement plans
  • Korea secures COVID-19 vaccines for 44 million people

Korea secures COVID-19 vaccines for 44 million people

Woman holds vials labelled "COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine" over dry ice in this illustration taken on Dec. 5, 2020. ReutersSouth Korea has secured early access of COVID-19 vaccines developed by four pharmaceutical companies and from a global vaccine project for 44 million people, the health ministry said Tuesday. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it has preordered 64 million doses of vaccines by four drugmakers -- AstraZeneca Inc., Pfizer, Johnson Johnson's Janssen and Moderna -- for 34 million people.The World Health Organization's global vaccine project, known as COVAX, will supply the vaccine of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Sanopi for 10 million people.The government will each purchase 20 million doses from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna, which requires two shots, and buy 4 million doses from Johnson Johnson's Janssen, which requires one shot. The ministry said it has already signed a deal with AstraZeneca and will ink contracts with three other companies later this month, adding it has set aside 1.3 trillion won (US$1.2 billion) of its budget for the vaccine purchase.The preorde

Dec 8, 2020
Korea secures COVID-19 vaccines for 44 million people
  • 'Daily new infections could reach 1,000'
  • New virus cases fall back to below 600
  • Health experts skeptical on COVID-19 vaccine procurement plans

New virus cases fall back to below 600

A woman wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus passes by wall mural of a shopping center in Seoul, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. APSouth Korea's new virus cases fell back slightly to below 600 on Tuesday as tougher virus restrictions in the greater Seoul and other areas began to be implemented. But health authorities still remain on utmost alert over a further spike in new infections tied to a slew of cluster infections.The country reported 594 new virus cases, including 566 domestically transmitted ones, raising the total caseload to 38,755, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Tuesday's daily tally marks a slight fall from 615 the previous day and 631 on Sunday. Three additional coronavirus deaths were reported, taking the total to 552. The social distancing Level 2.5, the second-highest level under the five-tier scheme, went into effect Tuesday in the greater Seoul area covering Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, west of Seoul. In addition, the Seoul city government decided last Saturday to reduce the city's public transportation service by

Dec 8, 2020
New virus cases fall back to below 600
  • 'Daily new infections could reach 1,000'

'Daily new infections could reach 1,000'

People stand in a long line to take a virus test at a screening center outside the National Medical Center in Seoul, Monday. YonhapControversy rises over belated virus restrictBy Bahk Eun-jiThe health authorities warned Monday that the country could see nearly 1,000 daily new cases of COVID-19 next week if the current pace of spread cannot be slowed down. The warning came after the daily infections reached 615 for Sunday, showing the current social distancing rules have not worked and thus bringing calls to raise the level further.“According to predictions by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and various expert groups, we expect 550 to 750 new patients every day this week,” said Ra Sung-woong, deputy director of the KDCA, in a regular press briefing at the agency building in Osong, North Chungcheong Province. “We believe that there is a possibility of more than 900 patients every day next week if the current situation continues.”Ra said the country is in the biggest crisis since the first virus patient was reported in the country in Januar

Dec 7, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
'Daily new infections could reach 1,000'
  • New virus cases fall back to below 600
  • Korea secures COVID-19 vaccines for 44 million people

Fight against bird flu

A sanitation officer flies a drone that is disinfecting an area around a reservoir in Naju, South Jeolla Province, Monday, in an effort to prevent avian flu from spreading in the region after a case was confirmed near the reservoir, Friday. / Yonhap

Dec 7, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Fight against bird flu

2nd-strongest virus curbs to take effect in greater Seoul area from Tuesday

Tourist information helpers wearing face masks walk along a popular shopping street in Seoul, Dec. 2, 2020. APSouth Korea will impose heightened social distancing regulations under the second-strongest virus curbs for the greater Seoul area starting on Tuesday as health authorities face the biggest challenge in containing resurgences in virus cases during the winter season. The Level 2.5 distancing, the second highest in the country's five-tier COVID-19 antivirus alert system, will be applied to the nation's capital area ― which covers Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western port city of Incheon ― for the next three weeks starting at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).The tightened measure will close down some 130,000 virus infection-prone facilities and limit business hours of another 460,000 places in the area, home to half of the country's population, the KDCA said.All gatherings of 50 or more people are banned, even at wedding halls and funeral halls, with authorities urging the public to refrain from having year-end gat

Dec 7, 2020
2nd-strongest virus curbs to take effect in greater Seoul area from Tuesday
  • New virus cases above 600 for 2nd day

New virus cases above 600 for 2nd day

People wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walk through a park in Goyang, Friday, Dec. 4, 2020. APThe daily number of new coronavirus cases exceeded 600 for the second straight day Monday as the country is set to adopt the second-strongest virus curbs in the greater Seoul area amid spiking cases tied to private gatherings and infection-prone facilities.The country added 615 more COVID-19 cases, including 580 local infections, raising the total caseload to 38,161, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Four additional coronavirus fatalities were reported, bringing the total to 549.The sharp uptick in daily new virus cases forced health authorities to raise the level of the country's social distancing measures by one notch to 2.5, the second highest under the five-tier system, in the greater Seoul area Tuesday for next three weeks. The third-highest level of 2 will be applied for the other areas. The country's social distancing level was raised to Level 2 in the greater Seoul area about two weeks ago, which includes the suspension

Dec 7, 2020
New virus cases above 600 for 2nd day

Korea investigating 12 suspected cases of highly pathogenic bird flu

A quarantine official prepares to cull ducks from a poultry farm in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, Saturday, after it reported a highly pathogenic avian influenza case. / YonhapSouth Korea is looking into more than 10 cases of suspected highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) from wild birds, the environment ministry said Sunday, amid growing concerns over the disease spreading to local poultry farms. The country is studying 12 samples gathered from major wild bird habitats since last week, according to the Ministry of Environment. It takes a few days to find out whether they are highly pathogenic.South Korea reported its first highly pathogenic AI case in 32 months in late October from Cheonan, 92 kilometers south of Seoul.Since then, the country has confirmed 15 cases from wild birds. Highly pathogenic avian influenza is contagious and can cause severe illness and even death in poultry.Local authorities have been raising their guard against AI to prevent the virus from spreading to local poultry farms.On Saturday, South Korea confirmed another case of highly pathogenic AI at a duck

Dec 6, 2020
Korea investigating 12 suspected cases of highly pathogenic bird flu

'Korea facing greatest crisis in fight against COVID-19'

A notice is posted at a supermarket in Seoul, Sunday, announcing changes in its operating hours, as the Seoul Metropolitan Government forced stores, movie theaters and several other facilities to close after 9 p.m. for two weeks starting Saturday to help curb the spread of COVID-19. For its part, the central government announced a decision to raise its social distancing scheme to Level 2.5 in Seoul and its surrounding areas, starting Tuesday, amid the third wave of infections. / YonhapGov't raises social distancing rules to Level 2.5 in capitalBy Jun Ji-hyeThe government decided to raise its social distancing measures by one notch to Level 2.5 in the Seoul metropolitan area that includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, as daily new COVID-19 cases have continued to increase amid the third wave of infections, health authorities said Sunday.Level 2.5 is the fourth-highest level in the five-tier social distancing scheme, and restricts people's daily activities considerably. It marked the first time for the government to impose Level 2.5 rules on a region since it reformed its social dista

Dec 6, 2020By Jun Ji-hye
'Korea facing greatest crisis in fight against COVID-19'
  • Controversy rises over plans to penalize virus-infected workers
  • Ruling party chief vows efforts for early approval of coronavirus vaccines
  • Authorities on alert as college hopefuls moving around for interviews, essays
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