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SEOUL: South Korea reported 583 new coronavirus cases on Thursday (Nov. 26), the highest since March, as it grapples with a third wave of infections that appears to be getting worse despite tough new social distancing measures.
The government reimposed strict social distancing rules in Seoul and the surrounding regions this week, just a month after they eased after the second wave of infections.
Now, some experts say the government moved too early to relax those rules, as the official daily case count surpasses 500 for the first time since March 6.
“The relaxation was done due to financial concerns and increasing fatigue, but it was premature and sowed the seeds of people’s complacency,” said Kim Woo-joo, professor of infectious diseases at Guro Hospital of Korea University in Seoul .
South Korea’s first wave emerged in late February from meetings of a religious sect, but the latest cases are more scattered across the capital, Seoul, making them harder to track and contain.
The armed forces ordered a 10-day license ban after a series of outbreaks at military installations. Other groups have been traced to a sauna, a high school, an aerobics academy, churches, a children’s cafe, and a gathering of friends.
“COVID-19 has arrived with you and your family,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said at a televised meeting of health officials.
“In particular, the spread of infections among the younger generations is extraordinary.”
Infections among young people, many of whom show no symptoms, prompted the government to urge students to stop attending intensive schools and private classes before college entrance exams scheduled for December 3.
“Infections are emerging at the same time in our daily lives, including family gatherings and informal gatherings, making it difficult for the government to take preventive measures,” Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said in a briefing.
Health officials did not respond directly to criticism that the government had been quick to ease restrictions following the previous spike in infections in August.
They have expressed regret at the economic impact of the latest measures, just after Asia’s fourth-largest economy returned to growth in the third quarter.
South Korean markets held firm on Thursday as the central bank held its policy rate stable and marginally raised its growth outlook for this year and next.
Of the latest cases, 553 were transmitted locally and nearly 73 percent of them occurred in the Seoul metropolitan area, the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
The total number of infections in South Korea stands at 32,318, with 515 deaths.
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