Published 12:08 IST, March 17th 2020
South Korea reports fewer than 100 new coronavirus cases for third consecutive day
South Korea has reported only 84 new cases of the deadly new coronavirus. This marks the third day in a row that the country has reported less than 100 cases.
On March 17, South Korea has reported only 84 new cases of the deadly new coronavirus. This will mark the third day in a row that the country has reported fewer than 100 new infection cases. This recent development brings hope that the country with Asia’s largest coronavirus outbreak outside China may just be getting better.
According to reports the new infection numbers that are being reported are well below the peak of February 29 when the country reported 909 new coronavirus cases in a day. The death toll in Korea is currently at 81 and the country has reported 8,320 coronavirus cases in total. As per reports, President Moon Jae-in has claimed that he is confident that South Korea will beat the virus. Despite the President's confident worlds, the authorities recently announced the discovery of a large cluster of infected in the greater Seoul area.
The novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has claimed more than 7,173 lives across the world and has infected over 1,82,700 people globally since it first broke out in December 2019. China is the most affected country in the world as experts believe that the virus originated from a seafood market in Wuhan city, the epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Italy and Iran are the other countries that are most affected by the virus outbreak.
Tax-benefits for residents
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on March 15 declared coronavirus-hit parts of the country as 'special disasters zones'. According to reports, Moon Jae-in approved Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun's proposal to declare southeastern parts of the country as 'special disasters zones' in order to provide special benefits to the residents. As per reports, citizens of Daegu city and some areas in the Gyeongsang province will be eligible for emergency relief, tax benefits, and other state-sponsored financial support.
Media reports suggest that this is the first time South Korea has declared any area as a special disaster zone due to an infectious disease. In the past, the country had declared 'special disaster zones' for areas hit by floods, typhoons or other natural disasters. Experts believe that South Korea has successfully contained the number of deaths by executed timely measures to tackle the virus compared to other countries with a similar tally of cases but with more fatalities. South Korea set-up screening centres at gas stations and implemented innovative ideas like using apps and satellite to inform people about the precautions they could take to prevent the spread of the virus.
Updated 12:08 IST, March 17th 2020