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Coronavirus pandemic
This Week in AsiaHealth & Environment

Coronavirus: South Korea’s infection rate falls without citywide lockdowns like China, Italy

  • South Korea had 7,513 Covid-19 cases as of Monday, with daily infections falling for a fourth consecutive day
  • Officials attribute the decrease to mass testing, improved public communication and the use of advanced technology

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Health workers wearing protective gear take samples from employees at a building in Seoul where 46 people were confirmed to have the Covid-19 coronavirus. Photo: AFP
Park Chan-kyong
South Korea has seen a steady decrease in new coronavirus cases for four consecutive days, despite being one of the worst-affected countries outside China, although global attention has shifted towards outbreaks in Italy and Iran.
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As of end-Monday, it had 7,513 cases and 54 deaths. The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said there was an increase of 131 cases from Sunday to Monday.

The country averaged more than 500 new infections a day for the past two weeks, but last Friday, this number dipped to 438, then 367 on Saturday and 248 on Sunday. The daily number of confirmed cases is reported the following day.

A long queue forms outside a store in Seoul to buy face masks that are in effect being rationed to cope with shortages amid the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Photo: Park Chan-kyong
A long queue forms outside a store in Seoul to buy face masks that are in effect being rationed to cope with shortages amid the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Photo: Park Chan-kyong
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday noted his country’s “slowing trend” of new infections but warned: “We should not be complacent at all.”
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His point was underscored by the KCDC, which said that among the new patients were more than 60 people who were infected while working in close proximity to each other at an insurance company call centre.

“The total number of new confirmed cases is on a downturn but there are concerns over such mass infection cases”, said KCDC Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook.

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