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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 under 200 for ninth day

People wearing face masks walk on a trail along the Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, Sept. 10, 2020. EPASouth Korea's new virus cases stayed below 200 for the ninth consecutive day Friday, but the country is still undecided over whether to extend enhanced virus measures in the greater Seoul area due to sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases.The country added 176 more COVID-19 cases, including 161 local infections, raising the total caseload to 21,919, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Friday's tally marked a slight increase from the 156 and 155 cases reported on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.South Korea, which even posted fewer than 10 daily cases in late April after suffering a record high number of infections in late February at 909, had been keeping the new virus cases at around 50 with some ups and downs.But on Aug. 14, the figure doubled from the previous day to reach a whopping 103. The recent spike was mainly attributable to cases tied to a conservative church in northern Seoul and an anti-government rally.To curb the spread

Sep 11, 2020
New virus cases under 200 for ninth day

Motels become hot place for hangout amid tightened virus rules

Chairs at a cafe in Seoul are placed on the table as only takeout and delivery is permitted from franchise coffee chains and bakeries under the Level 2.5 social distancing guidelines. Due to the enhanced rules that also ban restaurants and bars from operating after 9 p.m., people have found alternative places to drink, flocking to Han River parks and other outdoor places as well as motels. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeMany people, particularly young adults, have been flocking to new venues such as motels to have a drink as they have been unable to spend time at restaurants or bars after 9 p.m. due to the government's enhanced social distancing guidelines aimed at helping contain the spread of COVID-19, according to Seoul city officials.The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) said it will carry out a crackdown on the sale of alcohol at motels and other forms of accommodation in its desperate efforts to slow the spread of the highly contagious disease. “The Level 2.5 guidelines that ban restaurants and bars from operating after 9 p.m. have led to a balloon effect ― people now gather at a

Sep 11, 2020
Motels become hot place for hangout amid tightened virus rules

Korea to permit export of protective face masks

Seen above are face masks displayed at a discount store in Seoul, Thursday. YonhapKorea will allow the export of face masks that can be used to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said Thursday.The move comes as supplies of surgical and anti-droplet masks in the country have stabilized and earlier shortages have been resolved, the state administration said. Seoul had banned mask exports as it experienced acute shortages amid a spike in COVID-19 cases earlier in the year.Under the changes that will go into effect on Tuesday, the government will allow masks to be made and sold freely under market rules and end mandatory supply for public use. In the past, 80 percent of all protective masks had to be diverted for public distribution.Medical institutions that experience any kind of shortages will continue to receive support, the KFDA said.It said while exports will be allowed, outbound shipment quotas will be set for each manufacturer. Exports cannot exceed 50 percent of masks produced by companies in a two month period. In addition, restricti

Sep 10, 2020
Korea to permit export of protective face masks

Health officials scrambling to tackle both COVID-19 and flu

Medical staff and employees of Severance Hospital in western Seoul wait in lines to go through coronavirus testing, Thursday, after an infection cluster involving hospital employees and patients was reported. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeHealth authorities here are rushing to tackle both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza as the onset of cooler weather is raising fears over a so-called “twindemic” that refers to the overlap of flu season and a possible surge in coronavirus cases this fall and winter, officials said Thursday.The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has already confirmed several domestic cases in which patients were infected both with COVID-19 and the flu, according to its director. “There have been some patients who tested positive for the two kinds of virus at the same time,” KCDC Director Jung Eun-kyeong said during a briefing. “We will explain later after confirming more details.”Reports of patients being infected with the two viruses simultaneously have already arisen in countries in the Southern Hemisphere, as its winte

Sep 10, 2020
Health officials scrambling to tackle both COVID-19 and flu

New virus cases under 200 for eighth day

A woman rides down an escalator amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic at a shopping mall in Seoul, Sept. 9, 2020. ReutersSouth Korea's new virus cases stayed below 200 for the eighth consecutive day Thursday, but a spate of cluster infections continued to strain the country's efforts to bring the daily numbers under two digits.The government will decide this week whether to extend tougher anti-virus measures in place in the greater Seoul area.The country added 155 more COVID-19 cases, including 141 local infections, raising the total caseload to 21,743, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).Thursday's tally was nearly unchanged from the 156 cases reported Wednesday.South Korea has been posting triple-digit infections for nearly a month since Aug. 14. The recent spike was mainly attributable to cases tied to a conservative church in northern Seoul and an anti-government rally held last month.Helped by the country's toughened social distancing measures, the number of daily new cases has been gradually falling after hitting 441 additional ca

Sep 10, 2020
New virus cases under 200 for eighth day

More survivors suffer coronavirus aftereffects

Hyundai Heavy Industries employees wait in long lines to go through COVID-19 testing at a public health center in Ulsan, Wednesday, as several infections broke out at the company. / YonhapBy Jun Ji-hyeConcerns are growing over the aftereffects of COVID-19 as an increasing number of coronavirus survivors here and abroad have appeared to suffer from respiratory difficulty, abdominal pain, hair loss and other problems.The health authorities and experts said not only high-risk patients such as the elderly and those with preexisting illnesses, but also young survivors in their 20s and 30s appear to suffer from various aftereffects, calling on residents not to let their guard down against the highly contagious disease. Park Hyun, a professor at Pusan National University's School of Mechanical Engineering who was the 47th virus patient in Busan, said he was declared virus-free in March but has since been suffering for months from serious aftereffects such as brain fog and chronic fatigue as well as chest and abdominal pain.“As brain fog has made me feel like my head is in the clouds,

Sep 9, 2020
More survivors suffer coronavirus aftereffects

Catholic Church says 'no' to same-sex marriage

Myeongdong Cathedral is seen in this 2017 file photo. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulCatholic Church shares need for anti-discrimination legislation, but is against same-sex marriage By Park Ji-wonThe Catholic Church showed its support for the legislation of an anti-discrimination law but also made it clear this doesn't mean it backs same-sex marriage or the existence of genders other than male and female. This is the first time the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK), an episcopal organization of the Catholic Church in Korea, has issued a statement about the anti-discrimination bill which has polarized religious communities. The CBCK released a statement Monday that, “Regarding the anti-discrimination bill proposed by Rep. Jang Hye-young, we agree on its primary purpose to ban any types of discrimination and hope that it can prevent the abuses of human rights.” However, the CBCK said it was also concerned about some of its elements. It said this was based on subjects addressed by Pope Francis in his book “The Joy of Love,” which stated: “

Sep 9, 2020By Park Ji-won
Catholic Church says 'no' to same-sex marriage

Senior citizens suffer growing digital divide amid contactless boom

An elderly woman takes part in an education program for senior citizens on the use of self-service screens provided by Seocho District Office, Seoul, in this Nov. 13, 2019 photo. / Korea Times photo by Lee Han-hoBy Lee Hyo-jin Lee Yong-gil, a man in his 70s living in Seoul, recently tried to order takeaway food through a delivery app, as eateries are closed after 9 p.m., due to toughened social distancing measures. But following several unsuccessful attempts at making a payment, he gave up, and deleted the app he was attempting to use.Similarly, Park Jin-sook, a woman in her 60s, feels hesitant about eating at fast food chains after an unpleasant incident she had at a self-order screen few weeks back. Although it was not her first time using the system, completing the order within the time limit was quite a challenge. “It took several minutes for me to make the order since I had trouble inserting my card. But I felt the stares from people standing in line behind me, probably thinking, 'That old woman is taking too much time,'” Park recalled. Lee and Park are like many oth

Sep 9, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin
Senior citizens suffer growing digital divide amid contactless boom

Positive coronavirus tests in no-lockdown Sweden hit lowest rate since pandemic began

People walk past fabric face masks on sale on a street in Sodermalm in Stockholm, Aug. 31, 2020. AFPSweden carried out a record number of new coronavirus tests last week with only 1.2% coming back positive, the health agency said on Tuesday, the lowest rate since the pandemic began at a time when countries across Europe are seeing surges in infections. Sweden avoided a lockdown and instead emphasized personal responsibility, social distancing and good hygiene in a bid to slow rather than eradicate a disease deemed here to stay. The strategy drew fierce criticism home and abroad as deaths shot up during the spring but has also been lauded by WHO officials as a sustainable model. "The purpose of our approach is for people themselves to understand the need to follow the recommendations and guidelines that exist," Swedish Health Agency Director-General Johan Carlson told a news conference. Whereas many countries have changing rules and lockdown restrictions, Carlson said the Swedish guidelines were designed to be easy to understand and retain for an extended period. "There are no other t

Sep 9, 2020
Positive coronavirus tests in no-lockdown Sweden hit lowest rate since pandemic began

New virus cases under 200 for a week

A visitor wearing a face mask walks a dog along a stream in Seoul, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. APSouth Korea's new virus cases stayed below 200 for the seventh consecutive day Wednesday, but health authorities are still on guard against sporadic cluster infections across the nation.The country added 156 more COVID-19 cases, including 144 local infections, raising the total caseload to 21,588, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).It marked an increase from 136 new cases Thursday, which also slightly rose from 119 cases added the previous day, the fewest in 24 days.Since Aug. 14, the country's daily new virus cases have been in triple digits as infections tied to a church in northern Seoul and a rally in mid-August continued to pile up.The number of daily new cases has been gradually falling after hitting 441 additional cases on Aug. 27, despite some ups and downs, apparently on the back of the country's toughened social distancing measures.South Korea adopted what it calls the Level 2 social distancing scheme nationwide in mid-August, under which indoor

Sep 9, 2020
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