Tag: COVID-19

It looks like South Korea is breaking out of the omicron phase of the pandemic. Most notably is that the fatality rate has fallen from .69% in February to .13% now in May:

 South Korea’s new COVID-19 cases fell below 30,000 on Saturday in an apparent sign that the country’s virus cases are significantly declining amid eased social distancing rules.

The country added 29,581 new virus infections, including 25 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,756,627, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The daily figure fell below the 30,000 mark for the first time in 15 weeks for any Saturday. 

The figure marked a sharp drop from 32,451 reported the previous day and 35,906 added on Thursday.

The country added 55 COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total to 23,661, the KDCA said. The fatality rate came to 0.13 percent.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It must be pretty bad that Kim Jong-un has actually come out and made such a statement. We will see how well a largely malnourished population with minimal health care options is able to handle a COVID outbreak:

 North Korea on Saturday reported 21 additional COVID-19 deaths, with more than 174,400 people nationwide feverish, as its leader Kim Jong-un stated that his country is faced with “great turmoil” due to the spread of the virus.

Pyongyang’s state media released the updated tally compiled the previous day, after Kim presided over an early-morning politburo meeting to review the nation’s “maximum emergency” antivirus system in place.

Mainly discussed in the session were ways for the swift supply and distribution of emergency medical supplies, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

He was briefed on the current situation from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters and described it as “great turmoil since the country’s founding,” it reported. 

He urged relevant authorities to learn from the “successful” coronavirus control measures of other countries, including China.

A total of around 524,440 people in North Korea have shown symptoms of fevers between late April and May 13, the KCNA added. Among them, 243,630 have been completely cured, with roughly 280,810 being treated.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but with their lack of testing and transparency these numbers are probably far worse than what is being reported.

Cases are declining just in time for the end of the outdoor mask mandate:

South Korea’s new COVID-19 cases fell below 40,000 on Sunday, marking a steady decline from early last month, with the country set to lift the outdoor mask mandate in a major step toward return to normalcy. 

The country reported 37,771 new COVID-19 infections, including 30 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 17,275,649, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. 

Sunday’s tally is a marked drop from the previous day’s 43,286 and 50,568 reported Friday. In terms of Sunday figures only, the latest tally is the lowest in 12 weeks.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This would definitely make entering the country much easier and likely kickstart tourism again:

Incheon International Airport has requested the government to allow PCR test-free arrivals, as in-bound tourism is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.

The Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) announced during a press conference at the airport complex, Monday, that it has made a proposal to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to lift quarantine regulations by replacing mandatory PCR testing for arrivals with rapid antigen tests (RAT) or mandating testing only for those with symptoms or arriving from high-risk regions.

Under the current regulation of manual monitoring, all inbound passengers with full vaccination history must undergo a PCR test on the first day of their arrival and take a RAT test again within six to seven days after arrival. Those violating these requirements are subject to a maximum one-year prison term or 10 million won fine.

If introduced, the airport authorities said the PCR test exemption could help the nation’s tourism sector recover from the last two years of pandemic-driven economic losses.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

Starting today USFK personnel who are vaccinated will be able to party in the villes again:

The U.S. military command in South Korea will lower its health protection condition in time for its population to sample a wider variety of off-base activities this weekend.

U.S. Forces Korea will move from Bravo-plus to Bravo at 6 a.m. Thursday, the command announced Wednesday in a news release. The change will allow those who are fully vaccinated to visit bars, clubs, adults-only establishments, saunas and karaoke bars. 

A person is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after completing a vaccination series approved by the Food and Drug Administration, according to USFK. 

Masks are still required of everyone in South Korea, indoors and outdoors; USFK requires masks indoors but not outdoors on U.S. military installations.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link.

A much needed drop in restriction for South Koreans has finally come:

Korea’s daily Covid-19 cases dropped below 50,000 on Monday, the first day of freedom from two years of social distancing regulations.  
   
The country reported 47,743 new Covid-19 cases Monday, raising the total caseload to 16,353,495, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). This was the first time in 68 days for cases to go below 50,000, since Feb. 9 when infections started to soar.  
   
Along with the continued drop in new infections, the number of Covid-19 patients in critical condition totaled 850 as of Sunday midnight, down by 43 from the previous day.  
   
There were 132 new deaths from Covid-19. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.