New Covid-19 outbreaks test South Korea’s strategy

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea was so proud of controlling its coronavirus epidemic that it coined a term for it: K-quarantine, a global musical event named after K-Pa.

Its bilingual strategy to fight the virus appeared to work as the economy continued. The country stopped the rage without closing its borders, locking down towns, or shouting about strict restrictions on speech and movement. The country was held up as a model for the rest of the world.

But now, South Korea is struggling with another wave of infection, and its strategy seems as vague as ever. This new wave of population is spreading from the Seoul metropolitan area and people are skeptical of President Moon Jae-in’s epidemic efforts. To complicate matters further, some of the government’s strongest allies in the fight against Covid-19, the young doctors, have gone against Mr. Moon. They have gone on strike, unhappy with their medical reform program.

The government is trying to strike a delicate balance between controlling the virus and protecting the economy, and using government power to protect public health and not violate civil liberties.

“Our quarantine strategy, once considered a model for the rest of the world to follow, is facing a sudden crisis,” Mr Moon acknowledged last week. “The whole nation is in a difficult situation. People’s lives are being ruined. ”

Daily new infections in South Korea, in less than 10 days, have been in three digits every day since August 14, leading the country of 50 million people to more than 20,000 cases and 326 deaths, according to the New York Times. Database. The virus has spread rapidly from churches and large anti-government rallies. Mr Chandra’s government has accused churchgoers and protesters of obstructing the authorities’ efforts to contain the epidemic. But they have pushed back, calling him a dictator who runs the country under “quarantine martial law.”

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Moon recently tightened restrictions, banning church gatherings and large outdoor rallies, and closing nightclubs and bars. Epidemiologists have called for tougher social distance measures, such as banning all gatherings of more than 10 people and closing thousands of other venues such as commercial sports, cafes and wedding halls.

But Mr Moon was reluctant to move away, fearing damage to the already shrinking economy.

“We are at the crossroads,” said Jung Yun-kyong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It will be decided next week whether we can stabilize the second wave of infection.”

In late February, about 900 cases a day were reported in South Korea. But thanks to its aggressive contact-tracing and testing program, the country quickly pinched the curve of the new infection. The key to this success was a public that embraced curbs on their civil rights in order to fight the epidemic.

People wore masks every day. Few people can complain when the government aggressively used surveillance-camera footage, smartphone location data and credit card purchase records to help detect coronavirus patients and establish a transmission chain. The South Koreans also gave a landslide victory to Mr Moon’s ruling Democratic Party in the April parliamentary elections.

By May, South Korea was confident it could become more economically active without allowing the infection to recur. He launched a campaign called “A New Life with Covid-19”, urging people to go out, socialize, spend and enjoy the economy. If there was any backsliding, the restrictions would come into place again.

“We can’t delay a return to normal life forever,” Mr Moon said at the time. “Quarantine is the beginning of economic recovery, but it doesn’t bring us food.”

To help boost household consumption, the government gave homes a ભે 14 trillion win, or .8 11.8 billion in cash. In late May, it opened 256 beaches across the country for summer vacations. In July, he allowed Bible studies and other small religious gatherings, which had previously been strictly forbidden as a place of observation for the spread of the virus.

Cases In Gust, just days before the increase in cases, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicted that the average for other countries in the group would be .5. South Korea’s economy will contract only 8.8 percent this year, compared to a percent. And

Millions of South Koreans thronged the streets and shops in mid-August in a three-day weekend set up by Mr Moon’s government to give “a short but valuable time for those fed up with the long-running epidemic”.

But, before the holiday began on August 15, there were indications that the relaxation restrictions were leading to more infections.

A few days ago, the home of a faith-based, Rs. The second outbreak began on August 15, when vocal critics of Mr. Chandra’s policies, particularly on North Korea, took part in a large anti-government rally in downtown Seoul. Health officials said some members of Sarang Jill Church had joined the crowd.

On Wednesday, the High Priest of Sarang Jill Church, Rev. Jun Kwang-hun held a news conference, where he accused the government of boycotting churches and covering up its own epidemic failures.

Dozens of other small outbreaks have occurred, many of them in churches, prompting the government to shut down all church services, except those online.

Not only is there alarming growth in new cases increasing day by day. The percentage of patients for whom the source of infection cannot be determined has also increased, from 21 percent in the first half to more than 10 percent in the second half of August Gust. Transmission routes.

As the new outbreak threatens to tarnish one of his greatest achievements as president, m. Chandra has voiced increasingly harsh voices, suggesting that they will use the deadly force of law to punish those who obstruct the government’s epidemic efforts. His government has declared “zero tolerance” and “maximum penalty”.

Politically active church members have accused the church of spreading the virus and endangering the economy, saying “no freedom of religion, assembly or expression can be shown at the expense of such damage.”

“Prayers give you peace of mind but will not protect you from the virus,” he said.

Police have so far referred 99 people for legal action to break the law to control the virus, with hundreds accused of violating government orders to wear masks or breaking quarantine to eat, drink, smoke, take out trash or get out. Is. Their workplaces. Police arrested at least four people, including two pastors, who were accused of misleading the epidemiological investigation by lying about their location or the size of their church congregations.

Authorities have also detained 202 people on suspicion of spreading dishonor and leaking personal data, with people on YouTube claiming the government was manipulating test results to keep dissidents apart. The southeastern city of Busan has been sued by six churches for refusing government orders not to provide services. And

Last week, the government announced a series of measures to discuss the pre-epidemic, such as increasing the number of medical school students. But Young Doctors went on strike in protest, saying there were already enough doctors and that the government needed to invest in improving medical services in rural areas instead. The government sued many doctors who refused to return to work.

Dr. Ktro said that even when the whole country was struggling with the epidemic, they were distracted by the government’s heavy-handed methods in trying to advance its controversial policies.

Dr. Park, the leader of the doctors on strike. “But talking to them is like talking to the wall,” said Park Ji-hyun.