South Korea: outbreak of coronavirus near Seoul

Text by: RFI Follow

This Thursday, May 28, South Korea announced its largest increase in new coronavirus contaminations in almost two months, due to an outbreak of cases in a warehouse of an online trading company near Seoul. This fears a new epidemic wave in the country.

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South Korea - which in recent months has been modeled for its very effective response when the Covid-19 has spread to its territory - has eased restrictions very strongly, but is now facing an outbreak new cases. The authorities have indeed announced, Thursday, May 28, 79 new infections which bring the total number of cases registered in the country to 11,344. Most have been listed in the metropolitan area very densely populated of Seoul.

The highest figure since April 5

This is the highest new contamination figure in South Korea since April 5. In total, 69 infected people notably visited a warehouse of the online trading company Coupang in Bucheon, west of the capital, according to the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

About 4,100 people working in, or recently visiting, this building have been placed in solitary confinement. And 80% of them have already been tested, Deputy Health Minister Kim Gang-lip told reporters. "  We expect the number of warehouse-related cases to continue to rise today as we finish testing,  " he added.

South Korea has lifted some of the restrictions imposed in recent times to control the coronavirus. Some places such as churches and museums have been able to reopen, as have schools. The professional seasons of baseball or even football could finally begin, but behind closed doors.

Extensive testing and tracing strategy

South Korea was, at the end of February 2020, the second country most affected in the world by the epidemic after its Chinese outbreak. But the government has managed to regain control of the situation through a very extensive strategy of testing and tracing the contacts of those infected.

( With AFP)

► Read also: Schools reopen in Korea after the fall of coronavirus cases

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