Park Neung-hoo "Knowing the sacrifices and pain of the people, the arrival of stability feels slow"
"All members must temporarily suspend social contact"
On the 8th, citizens are receiving diagnostic tests at the screening clinic of Eunpyeong-gu Public Health Center in Seoul, where a small-scale cluster infection of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was reported even in a cathedral. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] On the 10th, 155 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were identified in South Korea. After maintaining the 100s for eight consecutive days since the 3rd (195 cases), the daily number of cases showed little difference from the previous day (156 cases), and the number of severe and critical patients increased to double digits, indicating that the situation remains concerning.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) for COVID-19, as of midnight on this day, there were 141 locally transmitted cases and 14 imported cases. The total cumulative number of confirmed cases rose to 21,743.
Among the local transmissions, 46 cases were reported in Seoul, 47 in Gyeonggi, and 5 in Incheon, totaling 98 cases in the metropolitan area. Non-metropolitan cases included 12 in Chungnam, 11 in Daejeon, 5 in Gwangju, 4 in Ulsan, 2 each in Chungbuk and Gyeongbuk, and 1 each in Busan, Daegu, Gangwon, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, Gyeongnam, and Jeju.
Of the 14 imported cases, 4 were detected during quarantine, and the remaining 10 were confirmed in the community. Both Korean nationals and foreigners accounted for 7 cases each. The countries of origin for imported cases were the United States and Uzbekistan with 2 cases each, and the Philippines, Kazakhstan, India, Japan, Kuwait, Ecuador, Kenya, and Australia with 1 case each.
The number of patients who have recovered and been released from isolation reached 17,360, an increase of 337 from the previous day. The number of severe and critical patients rose by 15 to 169 from 154 the day before. Two deaths were reported among confirmed cases, raising the total death toll from 344 to 346.
Park Neung-hoo, the 1st Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), stated at the CDSCH meeting in the morning, "The daily confirmed cases have remained in the 100s for eight consecutive days," but added, "Thanks to the national efforts, the number of confirmed cases is on a downward trend, but it has not yet dropped to double digits." He continued, "We understand the sacrifices and hardships of the public in practicing 'social distancing,' so the arrival of stability feels slow," emphasizing, "To break the chain of transmission, all members of our society must simultaneously suspend social contact."
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