A Korean woman who had been discharged after recovering from the novel coronavirus has tested positive for the disease again, health officials said Saturday.  Kwon Jun-wook, director of the National Institute of Health, said it was not believed to be a case of reinfection from someone else. He said the virus was thought to have been dormant in the patient, and the illness was able to recur because she was old and had a weak immune system. “A normal person would have been able to de

Social Affairs Feb. 29, 2020

South Korea confirmed 594 more cases of the novel coronavirus overnight to push up the total infections to 2,931 on Saturday morning, as the government stepped up testing for members of a controversial Christian church at the center of the spread of the country‘s virus outbreak.    Health authorities said at a regular briefing that the coming days until early March are critical for the country’s efforts to contain community spread of the fast-spreading virus. 　 Of the newly

Social Affairs Feb. 29, 2020

South Korea’s southeastern city of Daegu, the epicenter of the coronavirus spread here, faces a lack of hospital beds and medical personnel as the country saw another spike in infections Thursday.  　 A 73-year-old man, the 13th casualty from the coronavirus, died while waiting to be hospitalized after having tested positive Tuesday, raising alarm that a shortage of hospital beds could lead to more deaths. 　 Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin called for voluntary work from doctors and nurses

Social Affairs Feb. 27, 2020

South Korea’s confirmed coronavirus cases surged past 1,200 on Wednesday -- 37 days since the country’s first case was reported -- as the government struggles to contain community transmission of the virus. 　 The number of cases is expected to climb in the coming days, with municipalities testing over 210,000 followers of a minor Christian sect at the center of rapid infections here and potential new clusters of infections emerging outside Daegu. 　 A US solider stationed in Korea t

Social Affairs Feb. 26, 2020

South Korea reported a surge in cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, with most cases traceable to a branch of a minor Christian sect in Daegu and a hospital in a neighboring county, amid the government’s struggle to prevent its spread outside Daegu. 　 Fears about the community spread of COVID-19 are growing, with new cases occurring in 21 people at a facility for the mentally challenged, a pastor at a megachurch in Seoul and a Korean Air cabin crew member. 　 As of Tuesday afternoon

Social Affairs Feb. 25, 2020

The South Korean government on Monday advised those with fever and respiratory symptoms to stop going to work or schools, a day after the country raised its disease alert to the highest level in its fight against the rapidly spreading coronavirus.  The government aims to stabilize the situation in Daegu, which has become a hotbed of COVID-19 here, within four weeks in an effort to block community spread of the virus from the southeastern city. “There is a huge possibility of (the v

Social Affairs Feb. 24, 2020

Alarmed by mass infections in southern cities, Seoul is stepping up measures to protect its 9.7 million citizens, readjusting work hours for municipal workers, beefing up inspection personnel and closing public facilities. 　 “So far, the central government and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have taken charge of the virus fight, but now, with new infections coming in hundreds a day, the situation calls for proactive actions from local governments,” Seoul Mayor

Social Affairs Feb. 24, 2020

South Korea raised its alert level for the COVID-19 virus to the highest level Sunday, as the country reported additional deaths from the new coronavirus and a further spike in infections.  As of Sunday afternoon, the number of infections surged by 169 to 602, with most of the new cases traced to the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 　 The number of deaths from COVID-19 rose to six, with three more deaths

Social Affairs Feb. 23, 2020

The veiled Christian sect linked to more than half of South Korea’s COVID-19 infections said Sunday that they were fully cooperating with health authorities to contain the deadly virus. 　 In a video clip posted on its YouTube channel, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus also fought back against “groundless” media reports, rumors and criticism, saying they were the “biggest victims of a virus that originated in China.” 　 “We continue to see reports that suggest S

Social Affairs Feb. 23, 2020

South Korea reported the fourth death from the new coronavirus and 123 new cases on Sunday morning, bringing the total number of infections here to 556. The fourth victim of COVID-19 was a 57-year-old man who had been hospitalized at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province. The third casualty from the virus was reported Saturday -- a 41-year-old man who tested positive in a posthumous examination. Virus cases have skyrocketed here in the past few days, seeing a tenfold increa

Social Affairs Feb. 23, 2020

The novel coronavirus appears to have spread nationwide this week with a surge in the number of confirmed COVID-19 virus infections, with Daegu being the largest cluster in the country as of Friday. Cases of the novel coronavirus were confirmed across the country, except for the cities of Busan, Ulsan, Daejeon and Sejong as well as Gangwon Province, as of Friday afternoon, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Korea had 100 new cases of the novel

Social Affairs Feb. 21, 2020

The government said Friday it has no plans to order a postponement of the new school semester nationwide despite a surge in confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. The Ministry of Education also set up a task force with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to help foreign students coming from China for the new school year, as part of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. The education office in Daegu, which witnessed a sudden spike in confirmed cases this week, has delayed the reopening of

Social Affairs Feb. 21, 2020

Seoul’s city government said Friday it will ban rallies in the center of the city and close down the facilities of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Seoul as part of efforts to rein in the spread of the COVID-19 virus. “We plan to ban use of Seoul Plaza, Cheonggye Plaza and Gwanghwamun Plaza,” Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in a press briefing Friday, adding the municipality will notify rally organizers of the decision and consult with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

Social Affairs Feb. 21, 2020

At the center of a local outbreak of coronavirus infections in Daegu City is a much-veiled Christian sect that goes by the name of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. 　  As of Thursday afternoon, 43 of the country’s 104 cases were confirmed to be linked to Sunday services at the sect’s branch in Daegu, which was attended by a 61-year-old woman who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. 　 Concerns are growing over a further rise in the num

Social Affairs Feb. 20, 2020

Public panic has deepened in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, with at least 15 people from the areas confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 on Wednesday. 　 The Daegu Metropolitan Government said it will track down some 1,000 people who attended the same church service as the country’s 31st patient, who may have been a “superspreader,” and test them for the coronavirus. 　 Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin said at a briefing that the city will mobilize all resources available --

Social Affairs Feb. 19, 2020