Despite being one of the first countries affected by the virus, South Korea has managed to avoid the kind of strict blocking measures that can be seen elsewhere in the world, thanks in large part to a combination of aggressive testing and tracking and tracing techniques. sophisticated.
But as the pandemic drags on into winter, the emergence of a so-called “third wave” has resulted in a seemingly untraceable increase in new infections.
Speaking on Wednesday, senior Health Ministry official Yoon Tae-ho urged people to fully participate in social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan area, which accounts for about half of the population of 51 million people. ‘inhabitants of the country. These restrictions are currently at level 2.5 at the country level, with level 3 being a de facto blockade.
Yoon said officials are currently consulting with experts, local governments and the antivirus working committee on whether to increase restrictions to level 3.
This move would likely constitute “a major social change,” Yoon warned, and could cause harm to small businesses and the self-employed.
On Tuesday, South Korea reported 1,078 new cases, the highest daily count since the start of the pandemic, which raised the national total to 45,442. Some 226 patients are in critical condition, while an additional 12 deaths occurred on Tuesday, bringing the total death toll to 612.
On Wednesday, Seoul’s acting mayor, Seo Jung-hyup, warned that the capital was facing a critical shortage of hospital space, with 77 of the city’s 78 ICU beds now occupying coronavirus patients.
Although these figures are pale compared to those seen in much of Europe or the United States, the latest rise demonstrates the additional difficulties caused by the freezing of winter temperatures, which lead people to the interior, where infection is easier, and increasing fatigue due to restrictions. and precautions.
According to a Johns Hopkins University count, cases in South Korea have risen steadily since mid-November and the country has been slowly adopting more restrictions and rules of social distancing in response.
“The church held meetings four times a week for seven weeks in a confined space for an extended period of time, which means the chance of drops spreading among participants was very high,” he told KBS Park Yoo- me, a local health official. “We are investigating the matter further.”
Winter was expected to cause a rebound in cases in much of the northern hemisphere, but especially in countries where temperatures are lower: greater ventilation, which can help prevent infections, is much more difficult when average daytime temperatures are below -5C 23F) as in Seoul this week.
Speaking on Tuesday, Jung Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said that “the third wave is different from the previous two. It is the most critical point since the Covid- pandemic began. 19 “.
In neighboring, and equally cold, Japan, restrictions have also increased in response to a new wave of cases.
An additional 2,410 new cases and 45 deaths were recorded across Japan on Tuesday, bringing the total to 184,754 cases and 2,701 deaths. The number of patients in intensive care is at its highest level throughout the year, health officials warned.
“Please don’t get used to the coronavirus,” Japanese Medical Association president Toshio Nakagawa said at a briefing last month as cases began to escalate. “Please don’t underestimate the coronavirus.”
Jake Kwon and Gawon Bae reported from Seoul, South Korea. James Griffiths reported from Hong Kong.