I wonder if this will be the new normal for Seoul? Not too long ago Seoul reported only 3 local virus cases:
A medical worker works at a makeshift clinic in Gwangju, 320 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sept. 9, 2020. (Yonhap)
South 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.
You can read more at the link, but if this is the new normal of community virus spread in the Seoul area, it will be interesting to see how long the government can keep people locked down.
Empty streets in Seoul The main downtown streets of Seoul are almost empty of people and cars on Sept. 6, 2020, as South Korea maintains tightened social distancing rules to stem the spread of COVID-19. (Yonhap)
Little activity at COVID-19 screening stationA COVID-19 screening station set up outside the Yongsan Ward community health center in Seoul sees little activity on Sept. 5, 2020, as the number of infected people in the capital city stayed under the 200 mark for the third straight day. (Yonhap)
Virtual learning for most students in the Seoul metro area will continue until at September 20th:
High school seniors go to school in Seoul on Aug. 26, 2020. (Yonhap)
The Ministry of Education said on Friday that schools in Seoul and its surrounding cities will remain online-only until Sept. 20, in accordance with the government’s decision to extend stricter social distancing rules in the area.
The measure will apply to all kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools in the metropolitan area — Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province. But high school seniors are not subject to the policy in order to prepare for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the yearly national university entrance exam slated for Dec. 3.
It will be interesting to see the effect this has on case numbers:
Seating is not permitted at a cafe in central Seoul on Aug. 30, 2020, the first day the government’s weeklong social distancing restrictions on restaurants, bakeries and cafes took effect. (Yonhap)
The city of Seoul on Sunday designated this week as a “week of standstill” for nearly 10 million citizens in its latest measure to fight the spread of the new coronavirus in the capital area.
During the “10 Million Citizen Standstill Week,” which runs from Sunday to next Sunday, citizens are advised to remain at home and stay away from social gatherings as much as possible, Seo Jeong-hyup, the city’s acting mayor, said in an online press briefing.
“This is a time of burden sharing. … Over the next week starting today, I ask you to thoroughly abide by quarantine requirements with a resolution to almost sacrifice your everyday routines,” the acting mayor said.
The spread of the coronavirus largely in the Seoul area continues to get worse:
Citizens wait to receive new coronavirus tests at a screening center in Wonju, 132 kilometers east of Seoul, on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s health authorities warned Friday they will consider upping the level of social distancing to the highest level if nationwide outbreaks of the new coronavirus continue after the weekend.
The country’s virus fight has reached a critical phase as its daily new virus cases surpassed 300 for the first time since early March on Friday due largely to church-linked cluster infections in the wider capital area and other regions.
The country added 324 more COVID-19 cases, including 315 local infections, raising the total caseload to 16,670, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Friday’s tally marked the most since March 8 when the daily virus cases reached 367.
Disinfecting streets Officials disinfect streets around Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul’s northern ward of Seongbuk on Aug. 17, 2020, as the church reported more than 300 new coronavirus patients. (Yonhap)
Something these news stories never mention about this breakout of the coronavirus in Seoul is whether the hospitals are being overwhelmed or not? That is the key factor people need to remember, is the spread contained enough to where the hospitals can handle the sickest people:
A medical worker stands next to cooling equipment at a makeshift clinic in central Seoul on Aug. 19, 2020.
South Korea’s daily new virus cases have now soared by three-digit figures for a week straight as the country on Wednesday reported the largest number of cases since early March, with infections traced to churches in the capital city of Seoul continuing to swell.
The country added 297 more COVID-19 cases, including 283 local infections, raising the total caseload to 16,058, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
Over the past week, the daily new virus cases have been in the triple digits, with almost 1,300 cases being newly identified. Wednesday’s daily tally marks the most since March 8, when the country reported 367 COVID-19 cases.
Gwanghwamun Square demonstrations Anti-government demonstrators pack Gwanghwamun Square and Sejong boulevard in downtown Seoul on Aug. 15, 2020. Protestors attacked the policies of the incumbent government and ruling party, with the gathering being organized by Sarang Jeil Church and the conservative Freedom Union. (Yonhap)
Here is the latest on the development of the Yongsan Park:
The idea of creating Yongsan Park became official in 2005 after the Roh Moo-hyun administration and the U.S. agreed to relocate troops there to Pyeongtaek.
In 2007, the National Assembly passed a special act on the creation of the park and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport began allocating resources for it.
No one expected the relocation would take so long.
One reason for the delay was that government had to find money to finance the Yongsan Relocation Plan ― which it was supposed to pay for. Occasional provocations from North Korea were also a factor that influenced the project.
Now, the former U.S. site is more than 90 percent empty.
The land ministry projects the park will be opened in 2027, but many, including the Ministry of National Defense responsible for the site return negotiations, are cautious, only saying it will largely depend on the talks which are expected to hit a stumbling block over the issue of soil contamination.
The land ministry has got many things done so far.
In 2012, it selected a team of architects and urban planners to design the park ― the final version of the plan was made public last week and can be found at park.go.kr.
The ministry is also carrying out aggressive public awareness campaigns about the park.
In 2018, the ministry began offering tours of the garrison, inviting a limited number of residents to see the historic buildings and sites.
On Aug. 1, the ministry is opening up the 50,000 square meters of land that used to be a residential compound for U.S. military officers and their families. The land was returned to Korea in 1986 but instead of opening up to the public immediately, the government built new houses and rented them to USFK personnel until the end of last year.
You can read more at the link, but how many people think all of Yongsan Garrison will be turned into a park? I also wonder if the historic Imperial Japanese era buildings will be torn down as well.
