Officials Scramble To Contain Coronavirus Outbreaks In South Korea Iran And Italy
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Ten towns in the Lombardy region and one in Veneto were placed on lockdown, with schools, businesses and train stations closed and scheduled public events canceled. People in affected towns are being asked not to leave unless they are granted special permission, as health officials scramble to contain the sudden jump in cases. Before Friday, Choo Mi Ae officials reported just three cases in Italy, but the number had climbed to 152 by Sunday, making it the worst outbreak in Europe. Veneto regional president Luca Zaia told reporters that because the virus is transmitted much like the common flu, attempting to isolate a single source with a connection to China is no longer an effective method of containment. Zaia said the vast majority of coronavirus cases are mild and not life-threatening, but the elderly and those with a preexisting medical condition remain the most vulnerable. The last two days of the famed Venice Carnival, which draws thousands of revelers, was cancelled because of the outbreak.
To us, there is nothing more important than focusing on responding to COVID-19," Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told a briefing on Saturday. Health authorities have categorized social distancing rules in three stages - stage 1 being the least intense and stage 3 the toughest, where schools and businesses are urged to close. "If we enhance the social distancing guidelines to the third stage, it is inevitable that they will take a toll on people’s daily lives and economy. We urge you to the situation seriously," KCDC deputy director Kwon Jun-wook told a briefing.
The first test was approved on 7 February, when the country had just a few cases, and distributed to regional health centers. Just 11 days later, a 61-year-old woman, known as "Case 31," tested positive. She had attended 9 and 16 February services at the Shincheonji megachurch in Daegu, about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, already feeling slightly ill. Upward of 500 attendees sit shoulder to shoulder on the floor of the church during 2-hour services, according to local news reports.
Korea had already gone through an exponential growth of cases. So what‘s the key takeaway? Last night, I got a message from one of my best friends in Chicago. Someone in his office building was tested positive, and people were scared to the bones. He knew about the situation in Korea — how rapidly the virus spread, but also how the fatality rate is much lower than in other countries with equally serious cases. I’ve been in Korea since 2018, so he asked me if there’s anything I wanted to share that could help his family, friends, and coworkers to be better prepared. I got a lot of similar messages just in the past few days.
At the same time, he said South Korea will not remain in the past, asking Japan to show such an attitude as well. Joining hands while learning lessons from history will lead to a path for peace and prosperity in East Asia, he said, seeking cooperation from Japan. The crisis spooked trade and financial markets, leading Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor and LG Display to temporarily shut down a plant each and prompting boy band BTS to cancel a world tour set for April. More neighbours suspended flights and banned visitors from South Korea. In a statement, the foreign ministry said Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha asked Washington to avoid "excessive action that could needlessly shrink exchanges between both countries," during a telephone call with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun on Sunday. The request came after the United States advised Americans not to travel to hard-hit regions, such as Daegu. Since the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis, The Japan Times has been providing free access to crucial news on the impact of the novel coronavirus as well as practical information about how to cope with the pandemic. Please consider subscribing today so we can continue offering you up-to-date, in-depth news about Japan.
