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Police vow to crack down on Oct. 3 rallies

The secretary general of a coalition of conservative civic groups seeking to hold anti-government rallies submits an application for Oct. 3 demonstrations at Jongno Police Station in central Seoul in this Sept. 16 photo. YonhapDaily new cases stay below 100 for 2 straight daysBy Bahk Eun-jiThe National Police Agency warned Monday that it will take stern measures against illegal rallies to be held on National Foundation Day, Oct. 3, to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.As of Monday, police said they had so far received 798 requests to hold rallies in central Seoul that day.“Should they push ahead with the rallies despite the government's refusal to give permission, police will immediately take measures to disperse them. Officers will be deployed in advance and a steel fence will also be erected to block and deter demonstrations,” Police Commissioner-General Kim Chang-ryong said during a press conference at the NPA building in Seoul. The vow came after criticism that the police's failure to respond to the outdoor massive rallies by conservative activists, Aug.15,

Sep 21, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

40% of Seoul residents have mental health issues due to COVID-19

GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin The prolonged coronavirus pandemic has seen the mental health of Seoul citizens deteriorate more than their physical health, according to a recent survey by Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG).According to the survey results released on Monday, 1,489 of 3,983 respondents ― almost 40 percent ― said their mental health has deteriorated since the start of the pandemic, whereas 22 percent felt it has worsened their physical health. A total of 3,983 Seoul residents aged between 10 and 90 took part in the survey. The poll, organized in cooperation with IBM, was conducted via chatbots.The main reasons offered for declining mental health were refraining from outdoor activities under social distancing measures, economic hardship, discomfort from wearing face masks, overall lethargy in daily routine, and the absence of human interaction.The survey also revealed that people feel more stressed about isolation than unemployment or decreased income. One third of the respondents stated that restricted leisure activities including travel bans were the main reason f

Sep 21, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

No. of new virus cases stays under 100

People wearing face masks to help protect against the spread of the coronavirus walk by a poster informing mandatory mask wearing at a subway station in Seoul, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. APSouth Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed below 100 for the second consecutive day Monday in what could be a sign of a slowdown in new infections, but the continued high number of untraceable cases and sporadic clusters pose challenges to the country's virus fight.The country added 70 more COVID-19 cases, including 55 local infections, raising the total caseload to 23,045, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).On Sunday, the number of daily new infections fell below 100 for the first time in 38 days at 82. The country's new daily infections had been in the triple digits since Aug. 14 due to cases tied to a church in Seoul and an anti-government rally.Despite a slight decline, the government on Sunday opted to extend nationwide virus curbs for another week on concerns that the spread of the virus may worsen again during the upcoming Chuseok holiday.The Level 2 socia

Sep 21, 2020
No. of new virus cases stays under 100

Daily new virus cases fall below 100 for first time since Aug. 13

A medical staff member works at a makeshift clinic located in central Seoul, Sunday. YonhapPM says the country needs to maintain Level 2 before Chuseok holidayBy Bahk Eun-jiKorea's daily new COVID-19 cases fell below 100 for the first time in 38 days, Sunday, but the health authorities continue to remain on edge over the increasing number of untraceable infections.The government decided to maintain its Level 2 social distancing measure nationwide before the Chuseok holiday as sporadic infection clusters and untraceable cases continued to put the health authorities on alert, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Sunday.“The situation outside the Seoul metropolitan area has been showing signs of abating with around 20 cases daily, but we cannot become complacent, considering the country is still suffering from high ratio of patients with unknown infection routes and sporadic infection clusters nationwide,” Chung said in a regular COVID-19 response meeting.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 82 new COVID-19 infections for Saturday, including 72 local

Sep 20, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji
Daily new virus cases fall below 100 for first time since Aug. 13

Sweden spared surge of virus cases but many questions remain

In this Wednesday, April 8, 2020, file photo people chat and drink outside a bar in Stockholm. Sweden's relatively low-key approach to coronavirus lockdowns captured the world's attention when the pandemic first hit Europe. But it also had a per capita death rate much higher than other Nordic countries. Now, as infection numbers surge in much of Europe, Sweden has some of the lowest numbers of new cases and there are only 14 people being treated for the virus in intensive care in the country of 10 million. APA train pulls into the Odenplan subway station in central Stockholm, where morning commuters without masks get off or board before settling in to read their smartphones.Whether on trains or trams, in supermarkets or shopping malls _ places where face masks are commonly worn in much of the world _ Swedes go about their lives without them.When most of Europe locked down their populations early in the pandemic by closing schools, restaurants, gyms and even borders, Swedes kept enjoying many freedoms.The relatively low-key strategy captured the world's attention, but at the same time

Sep 20, 2020
Sweden spared surge of virus cases but many questions remain

PM stresses need to maintain nationwide virus restrictions ahead of Chuseok holidays

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a meeting at the government complex in Seoul, Sunday. YonhapPrime Minister Chung Sye-kyun on Sunday stressed the need to maintain the current Level 2 social distancing rule ahead of the Chuseok holiday that starts later this month, saying that the country's guard cannot be lowered amid a rise in untraceable COVID-19 infections.Chung made the remark at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters convened to discuss whether to adjust the current Level 2 distancing rule."Given that there have been around 20 cases being reported outside the greater Seoul area recently, things appear to be good compared with Seoul and its adjacent regions but we still cannot let our guard down as new cluster infections and untraceable cases continue to take place," Chung said."The number of cases has dropped to a double-digit range for the first time in 38 days," Chung said. "It is welcome news for sure but we can never fall into complacency given that untraceable infections continue to rise and that the weekend impact of conducting

Sep 20, 2020
PM stresses need to maintain nationwide virus restrictions ahead of Chuseok holidays

WHO endorses protocol for coronavirus herbal medicine trials

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, July 3, 2020. ReutersThe World Health Organization endorsed Saturday a protocol for testing African herbal medicines as potential treatments for the coronavirus and other epidemics.Covid-19 has raised the issue of using traditional medicines to battle contemporary diseases, and the endorsement clearly encouraged testing with criteria similar to those used for molecules developed by labs in Asia, Europe or the Americas.It came months after a bid by the president of Madagascar to promote a drink based on artemisia, a plant with proven efficacy in malaria treatment, was met with widespread scorn.On Saturday, WHO experts and colleagues from two other organisations "endorsed a protocol for phase III clinical trials of herbal medicine for Covid-19 as well as a charter and terms of reference for the establishment of a data and safety monitoring board for herbal medicine clinical trials," a statement said."Phase III clinical trials are pivotal in fully assessing the safety

Sep 20, 2020
WHO endorses protocol for coronavirus herbal medicine trials

No. of new virus cases falls below 100 for first time in more than a month

People wearing face masks to help protect against the spread of the coronavirus walk under a banner informing mandatory mask wearing in front of Seoul City Hall in Seoul, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020. APSouth Korea's new coronavirus cases dipped below 100 for the first time in more than a month on Sunday on the back of the country's strict social distancing scheme, but untraceable infections still pose a challenge to the country's virus fight.The country added 82 more COVID-19 cases, including 72 local infections, taking the total caseload to 22,975, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It marked the first time for the daily tally to fall below 100 since Aug. 14.The two-digit figure, however, apparently came as fewer tests are normally carried out over the weekend.The country's new daily infections have been in the triple digits for more than a month on a surge in cases tied to a church in northern Seoul and an anti-government rally in mid-August.The greater Seoul area that houses around half of the nation's population earlier adopted the so-called enhance

Sep 20, 2020
No. of new virus cases falls below 100 for first time in more than a month

Korea reports suspected case of coronavirus reinfection

GettyimagesbankSouth Korean heath authorities are studying what may be the nation's first case of a coronavirus reinfection, found in a woman in her 20s, officials said Saturday. "Research on a suspected reinfection case is under way in the country," Kwon Joon-wook, deputy director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said in a press briefing.The patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March and released from isolation after recovery, but was confirmed to be infected again in early April. he said.The authorities believe the woman was likely infected through different routes, but more study is needed to reach a conclusion, Kwon said. "We believe that each infection came from a different cluster, as have happened in other reinfection cases in foreign countries," he said.There have been hundreds of Korean patients who tested positive a second time after recovery. Experts did not regard them as reinfections, saying dead virus fragments remaining in the patients' bodies were likely detected in the tests.South Korea reported 110 more virus cases on Saturday, with the majority tied t

Sep 19, 2020
Korea reports suspected case of coronavirus reinfection

Korea reports 110 new virus cases as rise in local infections persists

Women wearing face masks to help protect against the spread of the coronavirus pass by a street art wall in front of the Korea Tourism Organization in Seoul, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020. APSouth Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed in the 100s for the 17th consecutive day Friday, with local infections unabated in the greater Seoul area. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 110 more COVID-19 infections, taking the total caseload to 22,893. The new cases mark a decline from 126 reported for Thursday but are higher than Tuesday's 106. Of the new cases, 106 were locally transmitted and the rest came from overseas. The death toll rose by one to 378The authorities are still struggling to bring the outbreak under control amid little signs of a significant slowdown in sight, as sporadic infection clusters tied to offices, churches, a nursing home and an auto factory continue to occur in the metropolitan areas. The country's outbreak trend has been on a downward trajectory due to tougher social distancing rules that were enforced until last week to contain the resurgen

Sep 19, 2020
Korea reports 110 new virus cases as rise in local infections persists
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