South China Morning Post :
US Forces Korea reported two new cases, for a total of six cases in soldiers, employees or people related to the 28,500 troops in South Korea.
Government has proposed an extra budget of US$9.9 billion to address the epidemic’s impact and improve infectious disease prevention system.
South Korea’s total number of coronavirus cases the largest outside China, where the disease first emerged – crossed 6,000 on Thursday as authorities reported 322 new infections.
The total stood at 6,088 as of Thursday evening, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said, with 40 deaths.
The South Korean government also declared the “special care zone” around Gyeongsan, a city of about 275,000 people 250km southeast of Seoul, promising extra resources such as face masks and warning people from travelling there.
Gyeongsan has recorded a spike in new cases, including at a nursing home.
Similar zones have been declared around neighbouring Daegu city and Cheongdo County.
About 75 per cent of all cases in South Korea are in and around Daegu, the country’s fourth-largest city, where the flu-like virus that emerged from China late last year has spread rapidly through members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.
“Everyday is sad and tough like a war. But our Daegu citizens are showing surprise wisdom and courage,” Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin told reporters on Thursday.
Shincheonji, a controversial sect that mainstream churches describe as a cult, said on Thursday it had donated about 12 billion won (US$10 million) to South Korea’s fight against the virus.
The church said it made the donation to the Community Chest of Korea, with 10 billion won from its branch in Daegu and 2 billion won from its headquarters, Yonhap News reported.
Meanwhile, US Forces Korea (USFK) reported two new cases, for a total of six cases in soldiers, employees or people related to the roughly 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.
Despite the new cases, USFK had resumed sending troops to bases in Daegu and surrounding areas, according to military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
Commanders believed the bases were protected from the outside population, and that the troop rotations were needed to maintain readiness in the face of continued threats from nuclear-armed North Korea, the newspaper reported.
So far 36 countries and regions have imposed a blanket entry ban on people who have recently been in the South, according to the foreign ministry in Seoul. Australia on Thursday announced it will ban the arrival of foreigners from South Korea.
In response to the outbreak, South Korea has managed to test more than 130,000 people for the coronavirus in a short space of time.
“The coronavirus is highly contagious and even those without symptoms can transmit the virus, which makes it hard to stop infection among communities,” said Lee Hyukmin, director at the Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine and a professor at Yonsei Severance Hospital. “Without enough testing capabilities, the death rate will be high as the delay worsens the damage in the lungs.”
The government on Wednesday proposed an extra budget of 11.7 trillion won (US$9.9 billion) on Wednesday to address the epidemic’s impact and improve the country’s infectious disease prevention system.
We are testing people on the biggest scale, at the fastest pace in the world, and disclosing the results transparently and instantly to public,” President Moon Jae-in
said on Tuesday. “We believe this is the best thing we can do for now in order to prevent further spread in local communities.”
It is part of a 30 trillion won (US$25 billion) package Moon announced on Tuesday to address the “grave” situation brought on by the outbreak in the world’s 12th-largest economy.
Scores of events in the country – from K-pop concerts to sports seasons – have been cancelled or postponed over the contagion, with school and kindergarten breaks extended by three weeks nationwide.
The government on Thursday lengthened a nationwide day care centre closure for a further two weeks.
US Forces Korea reported two new cases, for a total of six cases in soldiers, employees or people related to the 28,500 troops in South Korea.
Government has proposed an extra budget of US$9.9 billion to address the epidemic’s impact and improve infectious disease prevention system.
South Korea’s total number of coronavirus cases the largest outside China, where the disease first emerged – crossed 6,000 on Thursday as authorities reported 322 new infections.
The total stood at 6,088 as of Thursday evening, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said, with 40 deaths.
The South Korean government also declared the “special care zone” around Gyeongsan, a city of about 275,000 people 250km southeast of Seoul, promising extra resources such as face masks and warning people from travelling there.
Gyeongsan has recorded a spike in new cases, including at a nursing home.
Similar zones have been declared around neighbouring Daegu city and Cheongdo County.
About 75 per cent of all cases in South Korea are in and around Daegu, the country’s fourth-largest city, where the flu-like virus that emerged from China late last year has spread rapidly through members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.
“Everyday is sad and tough like a war. But our Daegu citizens are showing surprise wisdom and courage,” Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin told reporters on Thursday.
Shincheonji, a controversial sect that mainstream churches describe as a cult, said on Thursday it had donated about 12 billion won (US$10 million) to South Korea’s fight against the virus.
The church said it made the donation to the Community Chest of Korea, with 10 billion won from its branch in Daegu and 2 billion won from its headquarters, Yonhap News reported.
Meanwhile, US Forces Korea (USFK) reported two new cases, for a total of six cases in soldiers, employees or people related to the roughly 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea.
Despite the new cases, USFK had resumed sending troops to bases in Daegu and surrounding areas, according to military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
Commanders believed the bases were protected from the outside population, and that the troop rotations were needed to maintain readiness in the face of continued threats from nuclear-armed North Korea, the newspaper reported.
So far 36 countries and regions have imposed a blanket entry ban on people who have recently been in the South, according to the foreign ministry in Seoul. Australia on Thursday announced it will ban the arrival of foreigners from South Korea.
In response to the outbreak, South Korea has managed to test more than 130,000 people for the coronavirus in a short space of time.
“The coronavirus is highly contagious and even those without symptoms can transmit the virus, which makes it hard to stop infection among communities,” said Lee Hyukmin, director at the Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine and a professor at Yonsei Severance Hospital. “Without enough testing capabilities, the death rate will be high as the delay worsens the damage in the lungs.”
The government on Wednesday proposed an extra budget of 11.7 trillion won (US$9.9 billion) on Wednesday to address the epidemic’s impact and improve the country’s infectious disease prevention system.
We are testing people on the biggest scale, at the fastest pace in the world, and disclosing the results transparently and instantly to public,” President Moon Jae-in
said on Tuesday. “We believe this is the best thing we can do for now in order to prevent further spread in local communities.”
It is part of a 30 trillion won (US$25 billion) package Moon announced on Tuesday to address the “grave” situation brought on by the outbreak in the world’s 12th-largest economy.
Scores of events in the country – from K-pop concerts to sports seasons – have been cancelled or postponed over the contagion, with school and kindergarten breaks extended by three weeks nationwide.
The government on Thursday lengthened a nationwide day care centre closure for a further two weeks.
