South Korea bans year-end parties as COVID-19 spikes again

Seoul, November 29

South Korean authorities introduced a ban on year-end events and a few music classes on Sunday and stated public saunas and a few cafes should additionally shut after coronavirus infections surged at their quickest tempo for the reason that early days of the pandemic.

South Korea has been one of many world’s coronavirus mitigation success tales however spikes in infections have reappeared relentlessly, triggering alarm in Asia’s fourth-largest economic system.

Authorities reported 450 new infections on Sunday after greater than 500 circumstances have been recorded for 3 days in a row, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency stated.

What authorities are calling a 3rd wave of infections is spreading on the quickest charge in practically 9 months, pushed by outbreaks at navy amenities, a sauna, a highschool and church buildings.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun stated restrictions can be tightened on gatherings and actions seen as liable to virus transmission, particularly within the capital Seoul and surrounding city areas.

“Year-end events and parties hosted by hotels, party rooms, guest houses and other accommodation facilities will be banned outright,” Chung advised a briefing after assembly well being officers.

Saunas and steam-bath rooms with a excessive danger of mass an infection would even be banned as would the educating of wind musical devices and singing, he stated.

For the remainder of the nation, social distancing guidelines would even be tightened from Tuesday, he stated.

Chung stated the federal government was speaking to Parliament about the potential of new reduction funds for households and companies, the third this yr because the economic system struggles.

“Our assessment is that we need the third crisis support fund … The government will come up with a conclusion on this after discussing with both the ruling and opposition parties,” he stated.

President Moon Jae-in toured a Seoul highschool on Sunday that was being ready as a test centre to accommodate college students in quarantine on December 3, when virtually 5,00,000 college students sit for the annual school entrance examination.

Moon toured school rooms the place desks have been outfitted with partitions and hand sanitisers to host 5 test takers in quarantine. Reuters