South Korea Enters Full-Scale Third Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic

Domestic COVID-19 New Cases Drop to 200s for First Time in Six Days on 23rd, but Return to 300s with 349 Cases as of Midnight on 24th... Over 2,000 New Cases Confirmed Nationwide Last Week Amid Cluster Infections Centered in the Capital Region

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] It has been reported that the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the United States exceeded 3 million in November alone.

On the 26th, ahead of the United States' biggest holiday, Thanksgiving, tensions are rising further. According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, 3 million cases were reported in the U.S. from the 1st to the 22nd of this month. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number exceeded 2.93 million during the same period, and if this trend continues, it is expected to surpass 4 million by the end of the month.

Considering that the total number of confirmed cases reported in the U.S. so far is around 12 million, nearly one-quarter of the cases occurred in November alone. CNN reported, "The number of deaths due to COVID-19 in the U.S. this month is 25,000, accounting for 9.7% of the cumulative deaths exceeding 250,000."

WHO pointed to some countries’ “premature easing of restrictions” and “still insufficient quarantine measures after the first wave” as reasons why the second wave of COVID-19 in Europe is not easily controlled, warning that “a third wave may occur in Europe early next year.”

On the 22nd (WHO standard), daily confirmed cases were 17,854 in France, 15,742 in Germany, and 19,875 in the United Kingdom, all ranking within the top 10 worldwide. In Russia, which ranks fifth globally in cumulative confirmed cases after the U.S., India, Brazil, and France, the number of new daily cases exceeded 25,000 on the 23rd, setting a new record once again.

The Turkish Ministry of Health announced on the 23rd that the number of new confirmed cases reached 6,017, surpassing the previous maximum recorded on April 11. In Japan, although the number of new cases dropped to the 1,500s five days after rising to the 2,000s, the 23rd marked the highest daily count ever recorded.

The spread shows no signs of slowing down.

South Korea has entered the full-scale third wave phase. Domestic new confirmed cases dropped to the 200s on the 23rd for the first time in six days but rose again to 349 as of midnight on the 24th, returning to the 300s.

Amid a series of cluster infections centered in the metropolitan area, the number of new confirmed cases nationwide exceeded 2,000 in the past week.

The average daily domestic cases over the recent week also increased significantly from the previous 120s to the 250s. Over 75% of confirmed cases in the past week were among those aged 50 and below. In particular, the increase among people in their 20s, who are highly active, was the largest. The health authorities expressed concern, stating, “There is a high risk of silent transmission among young people due to many asymptomatic infections.”

The government raised the social distancing level from midnight on the 24th, and Seoul designated the period until the end of the year as the “Emergency Pause Period for 10 Million Citizens” to prevent the situation from escalating into a large-scale outbreak. Entertainment facilities are banned from operating, and dining at restaurants is prohibited after 9 p.m. In Seoul, gatherings of 10 or more people are banned, and public transportation services are reduced.

Jung Soon-gyun, the district mayor, stated, “Residents are urged to remember that reducing contact with others is the most effective quarantine measure at this time and to actively comply with the government’s social distancing guidelines.”

Status of Confirmed Cases

With 12 additional cases on the 23rd and 24th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases reached 462. Cases 454, 458, and 459 are family members of previously confirmed residents of Gangnam-gu. Cases 456, 457, and 460 to 462 were confirmed at the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center on the 24th after contact with confirmed cases from other regions. Case 453 tested positive at Gangnam Severance Hospital. Case 455 was confirmed on the 24th after arriving in the country on the 21st without symptoms. Cases 451 and 452 were confirmed at Yangji Hospital and transferred to the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center on the 23rd.

Status of Self-Quarantined Individuals

As of the 24th, Gangnam-gu manages 1,234 individuals in self-quarantine, including 859 overseas arrivals and 375 domestic contacts.

Number of Specimen Tests

The cumulative number of specimen tests conducted at the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center screening clinic is 84,204. On the 23rd, among 1,145 tested, 125 were overseas arrivals and 1,020 were domestic residents.

There is a prospect that COVID-19 vaccinations developed by the global pharmaceutical company Pfizer could begin in the U.S. starting December 11. The White House’s vaccine development official projected, “If up to 20 million Americans are vaccinated in December and 30 million each month thereafter, herd immunity could be achieved.”

The UK is also expected to approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine as early as this week, with plans to start vaccinations on December 1 and vaccinate all adults by April next year.

Additionally, results showing an average immunity efficacy of 70% and up to 90% from the vaccine being developed by Oxford University in collaboration with AstraZeneca have raised expectations.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and SK Bioscience have signed a tripartite memorandum of intent with AstraZeneca for domestic production and supply of the COVID-19 vaccine.

At least 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are expected to be supplied for domestic vaccination, and the government plans to secure 30 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines through international supply systems and individual negotiations with pharmaceutical companies. Vaccine development appears to be progressing faster than expected, raising hopes.

Meanwhile, with the college entrance exam (Suneung) approaching next month, concerns among residents are high. Gangnam-gu completed disinfection of all high schools in the area by the 21st.

Starting from the 26th, one week before the exam, all grades in high schools will switch to remote classes, and disinfection and partition installation will be conducted at exam sites to ensure the safety of examinees. Continuous management will be maintained to leave no gaps in preemptive quarantine measures for the health and safety of all Suneung examinees.

Last weekend, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun visited the “Gangnam-gu Smart Infectious Disease Management Center,” which is the first in the country to handle the entire screening process from registration to returning home with a single QR code. Emphasizing proactive and creative quarantine measures, Prime Minister Chung said, “I hope its successful operation will serve as a model for other local governments.”

District Mayor Jung Soon-gyun said, “I am confident that when you, I, and we all strictly follow daily quarantine rules for each other, we can prevent the spread of community infections and create a ‘Mimiwi Gangnam’ that is caring, considerate, and respectful. All Gangnam-gu staff will do their best to ensure the health and safety of residents until the COVID-19 situation ends.”