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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.

New virus cases near 400, stricter nationwide antivirus curbs in offing

People wearing face masks walk past the display of the Seoul logo at a park in Seoul, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. APThe number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea reached nearly 400 on Wednesday on account of sporadic cluster infections across the country, prompting health authorities to consider imposing tougher antivirus curbs nationwide. The country added 382 more COVID-19 cases, including 363 local infections, raising the total caseload to 31,745, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).The daily caseload has stayed in the triple digits since Nov. 8, with the figure over 300 from Wednesday to Sunday before dropping to 271 on Monday due to less testing on the weekend. However, it bounced back to 349 cases Tuesday. Health authorities called for stronger action before a nationwide college exam on Dec. 3 as they warned a third wave of the pandemic is under way due to cluster infections from private gatherings, public facilities, hospitals and the military.To curb the recent surge of the novel coronavirus, the authorities raised the social distancing level

Nov 25, 2020
New virus cases near 400, stricter nationwide antivirus curbs in offing

Those in 20s may be COVID-19 'carriers': KDCA commissioner

An Army unit in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, is closed, Tuesday, after nearly 40 troops there tested positive for COVID-19. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiConcerns are rising that the health authorities may have difficulty in curbing the increasing spread of COVID-19 here due to a growing number of people who are asymptomatic carriers of the disease. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Tuesday, there were 349 new coronavirus infections reported for Monday, including 320 local cases, raising the total caseload to 31,353. The number of daily new cases returned to over 300 just one day after dropping to 271.The authorities expressed worries over continuous sporadic infection clusters among young people, such as those at cram schools in Seoul and in military units.Nearly 90 people linked to a private education institute in Noryangjin in southwestern Seoul have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Dongjak District Office. Noryangjin is home to a slew of cram schools for people, mostly in their 20s, preparing to take state tests to become civil servants or te

Nov 24, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Those in 20s may be COVID-19 'carriers': KDCA commissioner

3rd major COVID-19 vaccine shown to be effective, cheaper and easier to store

A test tube labeled with the vaccine is seen in front of AstraZeneca logo in this illustration taken, Sept. 9, 2020. ReutersDrugmaker AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed its COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective, buoying the prospects of a relatively cheap, easy-to-store product that may become the vaccine of choice for the developing world.The results are based on an interim analysis of trials in the U.K. and Brazil of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and manufactured by AstraZeneca. No hospitalizations or severe cases of COVID-19 were reported in those receiving the vaccine. AstraZeneca is the third major drug company to report late-stage data for a potential COVID-19 vaccine as the world waits for scientific breakthroughs that will end a pandemic that has pummeled the world economy and led to 1.4 million deaths. But unlike the others, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine doesn't have to be stored at freezer temperatures, making it potentially easier to distribute, especially in developing countries. ``I think these are really exciting results,'' Dr. Andrew Polla

Nov 24, 2020
3rd major COVID-19 vaccine shown to be effective, cheaper and easier to store
  • British PM says 'escape route in sight' from pandemic
  • Philippines in advanced talks with AstraZeneca for vaccine

New virus cases spike to over 300 again

A man wearing a face mask walks past a banner showing precautions against the coronavirus in Seoul, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. APThe number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea bounced back to over 300 on Tuesday due to a pileup of sporadic infections across the nation, with tougher antivirus rules in place in the greater Seoul area amid a virus resurgence.The country added 349 more COVID-19 cases, including 320 local infections, raising the total caseload to 31,353, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).The latest figure was sharply up from 271 on Monday, when the comparable reading fell back below to 300 for the first time in six days due to less testing on the weekend. The daily caseload has stayed in the triple digits since Nov. 8, with the figure over 300 from Nov. 18-22. Health authorities warned a third wave of the pandemic is under way due to cluster infections from private gatherings, public facilities, hospitals and the military, calling for stronger action before a nationwide college exam in early December.Health authorities said infections fro

Nov 24, 2020
New virus cases spike to over 300 again

Tourism sector sinking into bottomless pit amid prolonged pandemic

The office of a tour company in central Seoul is almost empty in this photo taken on Oct. 5 as most of its employees have been on unpaid leave amid plummeting demand for travel caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeThe tourism industry is suffering an unprecedented crisis caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Travel companies, hotels and airlines are laying off employees or having workers take unpaid leave, as no one is able to predict when the crisis will be over and they will be able to return to work.According to Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) data, Tuesday, the workforce at the country's six listed travel companies has decreased by 7.8 percent, or 400, to 4,758 as of the end of September compared to the end of last year, due mainly to worsening business performances. Staff at the nation's largest tour agency HanaTour and runner-up Modetour Network have been reduced by 5.8 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively, while smaller firms, Yellow Balloon Tour and Redcap Tour, have seen 13.6 percent and 10.8 percent decreases in the number of employees.

Nov 24, 2020By Jun Ji-hye
Tourism sector sinking into bottomless pit amid prolonged pandemic
  • Talks on third relief fund begin

AstraZeneca says COVID-19 vaccine has average efficacy of 70%

Vials with a sticker reading, "COVID-19 / Coronavirus vaccine / Injection only" and a medical syringe are seen in front of a displayed AstraZeneca logo in this illustration taken October 31, 2020. / REUTERS-YonhapAstraZeneca announced Monday that a vaccine it's been developing with Oxford University has shown to be "highly effective" at preventing COVID-19, with an average efficacy of 70%.The multinational pharmaceutical company said it has received "positive high-level results" from an interim analysis of clinical trials of its AZD1222 vaccine candidate.The drugmaker has been holding late-stage trials in Britain and Brazil and the vaccine has resulted in zero hospitalizations and no severe cases of the coronavirus among volunteers, it said.AstraZeneca said the vaccine showed different efficacy in different dosing regimens. It was 62% effective when two full doses of the vaccine were administered a month apart, and 90% when a half-dose was followed by a full dose after a month."These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save lives," Andrew Pollard, chief investig

Nov 23, 2020
AstraZeneca says COVID-19 vaccine has average efficacy of 70%

Seoul under stricter quarantine measures until year end

Myeong-dong, a shopping district in downtown Seoul, is almost completely devoid of shoppers, Monday, as the central government and Seoul Metropolitan Government have implemented stricter social distancing measures to stem the spread of coronavirus. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiRallies with 10 or more people will be banned in Seoul until the end of the year, as part of strengthened social distancing measures applied by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, it said, Monday.These measures are in line with the central government's decision to raise the social distancing level in the metropolitan area to Level 2 starting from Tuesday, following a recent surge in the daily number of new COVID-19 cases centered around Seoul and the surrounding area over the last week.Seoul City said it was launching a social distancing campaign with stricter guidelines to be maintained until the end of the year ― the second time it has implemented such guidelines since the end of August when the number of daily new virus cases increased to over 100 after a massive anti-government rally in Gwanghwamun.Under the measures

Nov 23, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul under stricter quarantine measures until year end
  • New virus cases below 300 for first time in 6 days
  • Tests on 1,379 people find only 3 have coronavirus antibodies in Korea

Rallies involving 10 or more people to be banned in Seoul amid virus spike

A man wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus sits on a set of stairs in Seoul, Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. APThe Seoul city government on Monday announced toughened antivirus measures until the end of the year, including reduced public transport by night and a ban on rallies involving 10 or more people.The measures will take effect Tuesday under a new campaign named "Emergency pause period for 10 million citizens" amid a spike in new COVID-19 cases in Seoul and the greater capital area. At midnight Monday, the same region will raise its social distancing rules to Level 2, the third highest of five levels.The city government said it will enforce stricter social distancing rules at 10 key facilities, including nursing homes and restaurants, as part of the campaign."We decided to take preemptive measures equivalent to Level 3 in consideration of the high risk of infection created by Seoul's unique characteristics, such as its high population density and the large number of people traveling in and out of the city," acting Seoul Mayor Seo Jeong-hyup said in a virtual pr

Nov 23, 2020
Rallies involving 10 or more people to be banned in Seoul amid virus spike
  • Tests on 1,379 people find only 3 have coronavirus antibodies in Korea

Tests on 1,379 people find only 3 have coronavirus antibodies in Korea

GettyimagesbankOnly three out of 1,379 people have antibodies for the novel coronavirus in South Korea, a third round of antibody tests in the country showed Monday, bolstering views aggressive containment efforts might have curbed the prevalence of the virus.Of the three people who have coronavirus antibodies, two have neutralizing antibodies that could defend cells from pathogens and block infections, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Of the three people, two were imported cases and the remaining one did not get a virus test, the KDCA said. The third serology tests were conducted on the 1,379 people nationwide between Aug. 14 and Oct. 31. The third tests confirmed that there was an undiagnosed person who was infected with the coronavirus in the local community, said Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the KDCA.The result indicated that herd immunity, which refers to a scenario where enough people in a community develop immunity to an infection so that the infection stops spreading, is impossible in South Korea. The KDCA said containment efforts are the only

Nov 23, 2020
Tests on 1,379 people find only 3 have coronavirus antibodies in Korea
  • New virus cases below 300 for first time in 6 days
  • Nightclubs, late-night dining banned in greater Seoul under tougher virus curbs
  • Rallies involving 10 or more people to be banned in Seoul amid virus spike
  • Seoul under stricter quarantine measures until year end

Korea in final stage of vaccine purchase negotiations with developers: PM

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun / YonhapPrime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Monday that the government was currently at the last stage in negotiations with COVID-19 vaccine developers to purchase coronavirus vaccines and will soon report the progress of the talks to the public. "Following recent news of breakthroughs in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials by global vaccine developing companies, the public's interest in the government's vaccine procurement readiness has gone up," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a vaccine procurement-related government meeting in Seoul. "We will soon be able to report on the efforts and the progress by the government."South Korea plans to purchase 10 million doses through the global vaccine supply platform COVAX Facility, and another 20 million through separate negotiations with vaccine companies, according to health ministry officials.The government's goal is "to secure enough vaccines at the right moment," he said.But there have been "some misunderstandings and concerns" related to the government's vaccine procurement efforts, as officials were u

Nov 23, 2020
Korea in final stage of vaccine purchase negotiations with developers: PM
  • US hopes to start virus vaccines next month as pandemic surges
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