100 days of COVID-19 in S. Korea
- 4 years ago
"국가위기 거쳐 안정…아직 진행형" 정부의 코로나19 100일 평가
One hundred days ago on January 20th, South Korea reported its very first case of COVID-19.
Since then, this country has been through the worst of the pandemic - at one point, seeing the daily infection surge to 9-hundred-and-9.
Three months into the pandemic, South Korea is touted as among a few countries which managed to buck the trend and put a lid on the coronavirus outbreak, at least for now, hopefully, for good.
Our Kim Dami looks back on Korea's battle for the last 100 days.
South Korea confirmed its very first COVID-19 case on January 20th.
About a month later,... there was shock nationwide when the 31st patient turned out to be linked to a cluster of 800 infections centered on a religous group called Shincheonji... at the same time there was another cluster at a hospital near the city of Daegu.
But thanks to the strong social distancing measures put in place from March 22nd, the country has gotten the virus under control.
On this Tuesday, South Korea reported just 14 new cases.
Around 16-hundred people are being treated for the virus, and the death toll stands at 244.
In fact, 60 percent of the daily confirmed cases for the past two weeks have been imported.
The country's safe, effective COVID-19 testing capability such as drive-thru testing also helped tame the virus.
Having expanded the number of testing facilities from just 68 to almost 120, South Korea can now do around 23-thousand tests a day... and has so far tested well over 600-thousand people.
However, the health authorities warn that it's still too early for people to let down their guard.
"Despite our successful quarantine measures, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. We should not let our guards down for the next one to two years until the treatment and vaccines are developed."
Expressing deep gratitude to the medical workers on the front lines, the South Korean health authorities have pledged to continue the fight and bring life back to normal.
Social distancing measures will remain in place until May 5th, and in the meantime the government will work on a long-term plan in case there's a second wave.
Kim Dami, Arirang News.
One hundred days ago on January 20th, South Korea reported its very first case of COVID-19.
Since then, this country has been through the worst of the pandemic - at one point, seeing the daily infection surge to 9-hundred-and-9.
Three months into the pandemic, South Korea is touted as among a few countries which managed to buck the trend and put a lid on the coronavirus outbreak, at least for now, hopefully, for good.
Our Kim Dami looks back on Korea's battle for the last 100 days.
South Korea confirmed its very first COVID-19 case on January 20th.
About a month later,... there was shock nationwide when the 31st patient turned out to be linked to a cluster of 800 infections centered on a religous group called Shincheonji... at the same time there was another cluster at a hospital near the city of Daegu.
But thanks to the strong social distancing measures put in place from March 22nd, the country has gotten the virus under control.
On this Tuesday, South Korea reported just 14 new cases.
Around 16-hundred people are being treated for the virus, and the death toll stands at 244.
In fact, 60 percent of the daily confirmed cases for the past two weeks have been imported.
The country's safe, effective COVID-19 testing capability such as drive-thru testing also helped tame the virus.
Having expanded the number of testing facilities from just 68 to almost 120, South Korea can now do around 23-thousand tests a day... and has so far tested well over 600-thousand people.
However, the health authorities warn that it's still too early for people to let down their guard.
"Despite our successful quarantine measures, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. We should not let our guards down for the next one to two years until the treatment and vaccines are developed."
Expressing deep gratitude to the medical workers on the front lines, the South Korean health authorities have pledged to continue the fight and bring life back to normal.
Social distancing measures will remain in place until May 5th, and in the meantime the government will work on a long-term plan in case there's a second wave.
Kim Dami, Arirang News.