Tag: coronavirus

If you ever wanted to visit Jeju Island without crowds now is the time:

Jeju Island has been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus outbreak since its economy relies to at least 70 percent on tourism, mostly from China. 

The government is halting visa-free entry of Chinese tourists from Tuesday, and Koreans are shunning the southern resort island because they are afraid of running into infected Chinese tourists there. 

Last year 1.73 million foreigners visited Jeju, 62.5 percent of them from China, but since late last month, when the new coronavirus started spreading throughout China, Chinese visitor numbers have plunged. 

Flights between Jeju and China dwindled from 24 a day on Jan. 21 to just seven on Sunday. There are 18 direct routes to Chinese cities, and 15 of them are currently on hold while the remaining ones are only 44 percent full, compared to 90 percent in boom times.

Chosun Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

It is not even safe to visit Thailand now:

South Korea on Tuesday confirmed its 16th case of the novel coronavirus infection, with the latest patient having recently visited Thailand, as more stringent quarantine measures are being taken to stem the spread of the virus.

The patient, a 42-year-old South Korean woman, returned from a trip to Thailand on Jan. 19 and started feeling chills on Jan. 25, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

Her condition did not improve despite receiving treatment for several days, so she was tested at a general hospital in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on Monday, with the test results coming back positive. Thailand has reported 19 cases of virus infections.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is currently probably not a good time to be a Chinese exchange student:

 South Korean universities are taking various measures to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, including the separation of Chinese students deemed at risk of the viral disease, officials said Monday.

A recent decision by Seoul National University (SNU) to assemble all Chinese students who have recently visited China in one dormitory building appears to be the most radical of them all.

Under the decision announced by SNU’s Global Residence, all Chinese students who have visited China’s Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus, in the past month or who have been to other parts of China in the last two weeks, will be sent to one dormitory building on the university’s Gwanak Campus in southern Seoul. People currently living in the dorm building can move into other buildings, if they want.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It is arguable that by being on the flight Cho was setting an example that he was willing to risk getting sick the same as his employees who volunteered to work these two flights:

Hanjin Group Chairman and Korean Air CEO Cho Won-tae faced criticism for being onboard a chartered flight arranged by the government to bring back Korean citizens from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, according to industry officials Monday. 

Critics called Cho’s decision to be on the flight an “overaction” designed to improve his image ahead of an important general meeting of shareholders, as he apparently had no particular role on the aircraft that carried out the evacuation mission.

The government sent two charters Korean Air planes to Wuhan, one each on Thursday and Friday, completing the mission to bring home about 700 nationals from the epicenter of the deadly illness. Cho boarded the first flight.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but this sounds like people hating on the guy simply because of the family he comes from.

This is all pretty much common sense advice from the USFK commander that everyone should be following whether there is a coronavirus or not:

USFK commander Gen. Robert Abrams said good hygiene practices and minimum contact with anybody who has returned from mainland China in the past two weeks or is exhibiting cold or flu-like symptoms are the best prevention measures.

Anybody who detects symptoms themselves should go to the doctor and stay home, he said in a statement on the website.

“More importantly, do not go to work or school. Stay at your home or in the barracks while you are recovery,” he said. “We must do our best to prevent the spread or it will have a significant impact on our ‘Fight Tonight’ readiness!”

He also promised the situation was being monitored “very closely, around the clock.”

“We currently assess a low threat or risk to our USFK formations and installations,” he said. “We will keep you informed as the situation develops and if our assessment changes.”

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

More cases of the coronavirus are identified in South Korea:

Concerns are growing over further spread of the new coronavirus here, especially person-to-person transmission, as South Korea reported five more cases in just one day on Friday, bringing the total here to 11 despite stepped-up quarantine efforts.

Of the confirmed cases, four are presumed to be potentially human transmissions as they had not traveled to China and other nations recently.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the country’s seventh case involves a 28-year-old South Korean man who visited Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and returned via the Chinese port city of Qingdao on Jan. 23.

He did not show any related symptoms upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.