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Social distancing level raised to 1.5 in greater Seoul

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a meeting on the COVID-19 response at the government complex in Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Bahk Eun-jiPrime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Tuesday that the government will raise the current Level 1 social distancing guidelines to Level 1.5 in the greater Seoul area, effective Thursday, as the COVID-19 situation here has been showing signs of deteriorating.“The health authorities' efforts to contain the coronavirus are facing a crisis. In particular, the situation in the Seoul metropolitan area, where more than half of the country's people are concentrated, is very serious,” the prime minister said in a regular COVID-19 response meeting.The government also considered raising the level in Gangwon Province, but decided to allow the local government to decide on this according to infection rates in the region. Under Level 1.5 guidelines, nonessential gatherings and the operation of multiuse facilities are restricted ― such as restaurants and bars being subject to stricter distancing rules, and schools limiting their attendance cap to tw

Nov 17, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Social distancing level raised to 1.5 in greater Seoul

Samsung Biologics starts mass producing Lilly's COVID-19 treatment

Researchers at Samsung Biologics' plant 3 in Incheon look at a panel in this undated promotion photo. Courtesy of Samsung BiologicsBy Nam Hyun-woo Samsung Biologics has started mass-producing a COVID-19 antibody treatment developed by Eli Lilly, to enable stable supply of the drug and faster administration to more patients, the company said, Tuesday.The Samsung affiliate said the mass production came after it signed a contract manufacturing agreement with Eli Lilly on producing the treatments in May. The monetary value of the contract was about $150 million and could grow to $222 million after the treatment becomes available. Given the companies will reveal the duration of the contract after Dec. 31, 2023, it is thought to be a long-term mass production contract. Samsung Biologics said that while the spread of COVID-19 forced it to face difficulties in terms of securing raw materials, it successfully delivered early batches of the treatment to Eli Lilly just five months after they entered the agreement. “We are very pleased to deliver this product to our client Lilly at record-

Nov 17, 2020By Nam Hyun-woo
Samsung Biologics starts mass producing Lilly's COVID-19 treatment

COVID-19 vaccines spur Korean cold chain firms' growth

Korea Superfreeze's plants in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of Korea SuperfreezeBy Nam Hyun-wooThe ongoing development of COVID-19 vaccines by global pharmaceuticals is spurring expectations on logistics and equipment firms related to cold chain services, as those vaccines are anticipated to require low-temperature storage and transport to ensure desired efficacy when administered.According to the Korea Exchange, the stock price of Dong-A Socio Holdings gained 17.3 percent from Nov. 2 to Monday. Dong-A Socio Holdings is parent to Yongma Logis, which is a logistics unit specialized in cold chain transport of drugs. Yongma Logis assumes its share in the domestic cold chain-requiring drug transport market stood around 60 percent in 2018 and will grow to 70 percent this year.The rally came amid pharmaceutical giant Pfizer's announcement on Nov. 9 that its COVID-19 vaccine showed efficacy and Moderna also said Monday its coronavirus vaccine is effective. However, they added their vaccines must be stored at low temperatures ― minus 70 degrees Celsius for Pfizer's vaccine and min

Nov 17, 2020By Nam Hyun-woo
COVID-19 vaccines spur Korean cold chain firms' growth

Social Distancing Level 1.5: dining, gathering rules to be tightened

People crowd a street in Seoul's Seocho District on Nov. 16. YonhapSouth Koreans in the greater capital area will face stricter social distancing rules under the government's Level 1.5 scheme starting Thursday, including more toughened capacity limits at restaurants and worship services and caps on large gatherings.Under the government's new five-tier scheme, Level 1.5 is issued in the capital area when new domestic cases average 100 or more per day in the preceding week.The government's announcement Tuesday of a one-notch increase from Level 1 to 1.5 in greater Seoul came after the average tally reached 99.4 as of midnight Sunday.In addition to the mandatory wearing of masks, Level 1.5 requires tightened social distancing rules at nine types of "priority" facilities and 14 types of "regular" facilities.The priority facilities are five types of entertainment businesses, such as nightclubs; direct sales booths; karaoke bars; indoor standing-concert halls; and restaurants and cafes.The maximum capacity at these facilities will be reduced to one person per 4 square meters. Dancing and m

Nov 17, 2020
Social Distancing Level 1.5: dining, gathering rules to be tightened

Moon asks for public's cooperation to avoid further tightening of distancing rules

South Korean President Moon Jae-in salutes to the national flag during a weekly Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 17. YonhapPresident Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that the decision to enforce stricter distancing rules in the greater Seoul area starting this week was an "unavoidable" measure, while asking for the people's cooperation to help curb the latest resurgence of new COVID-19 cases."It may come as an inconvenience, but it was an unavoidable measure to prevent a further expansion (of new virus transmissions)," Moon said during a weekly Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae.Earlier in the day, the government decided to raise the social distancing level by one notch to 1.5 in the greater Seoul area effective Thursday amid a resurgence of new virus cases in and around the capital. The president asked for the people to "actively cooperate" with authorities in efforts to help prevent additional infections and further raising of the distancing scheme. Moon also explained that businesses will meet with restrictions in economic activities due to stricter capacity ceilings. "The gove

Nov 17, 2020
Moon asks for public's cooperation to avoid further tightening of distancing rules

Virus cases over 200 in 4th day forces tougher virus curbs in Seoul

A health inspector tests a visitor at Songpa Public Health Center for COVID-19 infection on Nov. 17. YonhapSouth Korea's new coronavirus cases hovered above 200 for the fourth day in a row Tuesday due to continued cluster infections across the country, prompting health authorities to raise social distancing measures by one notch in the greater Seoul area. The country added 230 more COVID-19 cases, including 202 local infections, raising the total caseload to 28,999, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).Daily infections stayed in the triple digits for the 10th consecutive day, with the daily caseload exceeding 200 for the first time in 73 days on Saturday.Cluster infections from private gatherings, public facilities and hospitals continued to occur in several parts of the nation, making it harder for health authorities to pin down potential cases and curb the spread of the virus.To slow down the fast spread of COVID-19, health authorities raised the social distancing scheme from Level 1 to Level 1.5 under a five-tier scheme in the Seoul metropolitan area

Nov 17, 2020
Virus cases over 200 in 4th day forces tougher virus curbs in Seoul

Law on multicultural families may expand to include North Korean defectors, refugees

/ Getty Images BankBy Jung Da-min A law on support for multicultural families is expected to go through revisions including changing the term “multicultural” to “immigrant” and expanding the scope of its definition to include North Korean defectors as well as refugees.Rep. In Jae-keun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) recently proposed a revision to the Multicultural Families Support Act, together with 11 other DPK lawmakers, aimed at an overall change of the law, according to the National Assembly, Monday.Under the current act, the term “multicultural family” indicates a family comprised of a “marriage immigrant” and a spouse with Korean nationality. The bill reflects a growing call to change the term with many people agreeing that the meaning has been distorted to be used as a discriminatory term to specifically refer to migrant family members from Southeast Asian countries with less economic development than Korea.It also aims to help North Korean defectors, refugees and naturalized citizens to get more institutional help

Nov 16, 2020
Law on multicultural families may expand to include North Korean defectors, refugees

Gov't to increase support for single parents

Gender Minister Lee Jung-ok attends a meeting with single parents held at a cafe run by single mothers located in Dongjak District, Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of Ministry of Gender Equality and FamilyBy Lee Hyo-jin Single parents will get more financial support and chances to receive vocational training programs and counseling services, the government said Monday. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced a set of measures aimed at improving the child-rearing environment of unwed mothers and single parents by assisting them in dealing with financial hardship and eliminating social prejudice.The measures come as parents raising children alone often suffer economic difficulties as well as social discrimination and stigmatization, with several incidents recently showing that the current government policies lack practicality in supporting them.An infant was found dead on the street in Seoul, Nov. 3, and the birth mother, an unmarried woman, was arrested shortly after. Earlier in October, a woman in her 20s who was not capable of raising her child, offered to sell her newborn ba

Nov 16, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Gov't to increase support for single parents

Raising of social distancing level imminent

People queue up for COVID-19 tests at Korea University Anam Hospital in Seoul, Monday. Eight cases have been confirmed involving members of an ice hockey club of the university. YonhapBy Kim RahnThe health authorities are highly likely to raise their social distancing guidelines level as the number of daily new COVID-19 infections has been above 200 for three consecutive days. They also forecast the number could rise to 300 to 400 within a month.According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Monday, 223 new virus cases were confirmed for Sunday, raising the total caseload to 28,769.This was the ninth consecutive day that the country has had triple-digit daily infections, and the third day for the number to exceed 200. Sunday's figure was also the highest since Sept. 2. The daily number is usually smaller for Saturday and Sunday than weekdays as fewer people take tests on weekends. So the larger numbers are raising concerns that figures for the next several days could be much higher than those of last week.Among the 223 new cases, 193 were local. Most of the rece

Nov 16, 2020By Kim Rahn
Raising of social distancing level imminent
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