South Korea to extend prevention and sanitisation amid COVID-19 outbreak

As South Korea reported a series of new clusters in the area around Seoul, the Health Minister Park Neung-hoo reportedly said that the country will extend its prevention and sanitation guidelines against COVID-19 until daily new infections drop to a single digit. According to reports, South Korea recorded 56 new cases on June 11, taking the tally to 12,003. While the country continues to report mid-double digits, Neung-hoo warned of a return to tough social distancing measures. 

While speaking at the daily COVID-19 briefing, the health minister said that the authorities will review whether to return to intensive social distancing if daily infections hover in that range. He said that the guidelines are in a bid to cut the series of infections entered in the Seoul area that could result in a return to social distancing. Neung-hoo also noted that over 96 per cent of new infections were in Seoul area and out of the 56 new cases reported on Thursday, 42 were from Seoul. 

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Last month, the country had limited gatherings and also recorded every visitor to eight high-risk facilities, such as nightclubs and bars. With an increase in the number of cases, the South Korean health minister said that tough social distancing rules will be considered if 50 daily infections persist for more than two weeks. The resurgence of infections in the country is also threatening the ‘success story’ and prompting the authorities to take action to stop a second wave. 

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Country ‘sleepwalking’ into another COVID-19 crisis 

Yoon Taeho, a senior Health Ministry official during a virus briefing also urged citizens to stay at home and said, “Considering the quick transmission of COVID-19, there are limits to what we can do with contact tracing alone to slow the spread”. Despite the spike in infections, government officials have so far resisted the calls to reimpose stronger social distancing guidelines. However, several health experts have reportedly warned that the country could be ‘sleepwalking’ into another huge COVID-19 crisis. 

Meanwhile, according to an international media outlet, the government officials have said that enforcing stricter distancing rules would be a difficult decision, considering the huge blow it could deal with the country’s weak economy. The officials also believe that it is hard to close school again in the country. PM Chung Sye-kyun also said that it would be wrong to “fail the dreams and future of our children because of the current difficulties”. 

(Image: AP) 

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