SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea has reported 386 new cases of coronavirus in a resurgence that could force officials to impose a ban on strong social distances in October to stimulate the unfinished economy.
The country’s total number of confirmed cases has risen to 0,4033, including 303 deaths, according to figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Saturday.
More than 270 people in the new cases have come from the Seoul metropolitan area, where health workers are struggling to track transmissions to schools, private Turing academies and religious facilities.
Other major cities, including Busan, Daejeon, Guangzhou and Asan, were also affected.
South Korea has so far managed to weather the epidemic without any major lockdowns, instead relying on aggressive testing and quarantine campaigns and mask-wearing.
Officials eased distance measures to the lowest level in October, which allowed the reopening of high-risk venues such as nightclubs and karaoke bars and allowed fans to return to professional sport.
But the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases said on Friday that the country could register more than 1,000 new infections in two days a week if social distance measures are not effectively strengthened.
“A large number of covid-1 trans infections occur simultaneously across the country, and in some regions, the pace of infection has already exceeded the local capacity for contact detection,” the group said.
Other developments in the Asia-Pacific region include:
– Japan is withdrawing the government-backed “Goto” campaign to encourage travel and meals, as the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus reached 3,418 at the third straight day on Saturday. Prime Minister Yoshihid Suga announced the decision at a government panel on measures against the coronavirus epidemic. Stressing the need for “extreme caution”, he said the campaign’s travel waiver would no longer apply to severely affected areas, and the meal waiver would be temporarily revoked. There has never been a complete lockdown in Japan. Related to that coronavirus, less than 2,000 have died so far. But there is growing concern about an increase in infections over the three-day weekend. Monday is Labor Thanksgiving, a national holiday.
– In India, particularly, ૨2૨ new cases have been reported, especially in New Delhi the situation is worrisome. Intensive care wards and the capital’s main cemetery are close to capacity and health officials have seen far more infections in the markets this week than expected. The city has added an average of 6,700 cases per day in recent weeks. The health ministry also recorded 564 deaths in the last 24 hours on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 132,726. On Friday, India set a formidable landmark, passing 9 million infections, which the U.S. Ranked second
– China is launching a mass trial on 3 million people in a section of the northern city of Tianjin and testing another 4,015 others at a hospital in Shanghai after a pair of cases were discovered there. The National Health Commission on Saturday registered seven new cases of domestic infections, including five in Tianjin and two in Shanghai. Tianjin reported the community transmission on Friday to four different individuals and in another case. In response, local authorities shut down the residential community where people lived as well as a hospital and kindergarten. On Saturday, authorities began testing all residents of Tianjin’s Binhai District, according to the local government’s social media page. Authorities in Shanghai closed the hospital on Friday night after the couple tested positive for the virus. The total number of confirmed cases in China is now 86,414.
– More than three weeks after a new infection or death in Victoria, the focus in Australia Australia has shifted to neighboring South Australian state of Australia. In the state capital Adelaide on Saturday, South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said there were no new cases of community transition. In the North Adelaide suburb there have been 26 new cases, indicating a lockdown that will end at midnight on Saturday, although several measures will be taken to limit congestion in places including pubs and restaurants.
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