[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Just two days after the government expanded social distancing to Level 2 in the Seoul metropolitan area, an unprecedented third large-scale wave of COVID-19 infections is underway. As of midnight on the 27th, the number of new domestic COVID-19 cases reached 569, surpassing 500 for the first time since March and marking two consecutive days above 500.
Cluster infections involving dozens of people have occurred in everyday places such as military units, aerobics academies, and churches within a short period.
Looking at the regional distribution of new cases over the past two weeks (November 13?26), Seoul accounted for the largest share at 36.7%. Among the 4,376 new cases during the same period, 644 cases (14%) had unknown infection routes.
Meanwhile, on the 26th, the first case of reinfection after recovery from COVID-19 was reported domestically. Unlike re-positivity, where the virus remains but poses no additional transmission risk, reinfection carries the possibility of infection and thus requires caution.
The confirmed patient was infected with the V type virus during the first infection and the G type during the second, among eight virus types. Although concerns exist that repeated reinfections might render vaccines useless, similar to the flu vaccine whose antibodies last about six months and require annual vaccination, regular inoculation is expected to prevent major issues.
The cumulative global COVID-19 cases have surpassed 60 million, exceeding the population of South Korea.
According to the international statistics site Worldometer, as of the 26th, the global confirmed cases reached 60.05 million, with WHO reporting 59.81 million.
The spread is alarming. After reaching 10 million cases 179 days after the outbreak, the time taken to increase by each additional 10 million cases shortened to 44 days, 38 days, 32 days, and 21 days, with only 16 days between 50 million and 60 million cases.
In the past week, the global daily average COVID-19 death toll was 8,800, half of which occurred in Europe. Amid this, major countries such as France and the United Kingdom have decided to ease lockdown measures during the Christmas holidays, raising concerns.
Requests have been made for the European Union to establish unified quarantine guidelines to prevent the third wave. In the United States, millions are expected to travel despite official warnings during Thanksgiving, potentially exacerbating the spread.
According to Johns Hopkins University, on the 24th, the U.S. recorded 2,146 daily deaths, the first time in six months since May 11 that daily deaths exceeded 2,100.
President-elect Joe Biden, in a national address, described the situation as "very serious" and urged people to refrain from travel and gatherings, but concerns are growing that the Thanksgiving holiday could become a time bomb as airports remain crowded. Regardless of domestic or international circumstances, the year-end, which tends to be festive, requires more calmness.
The President of the European Commission announced that COVID-19 vaccinations could begin in Europe in December.
According to media reports, the European Union has signed supply contracts with six vaccine developers, including Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer. If this trend continues, the EU is expected to secure nearly 1.2 billion vaccine doses, almost three times the population of 400 million.
Additionally, countries such as Brazil, Turkey, and Indonesia are increasingly participating in clinical trials of vaccines developed by Chinese companies. Although less known than major multinational pharmaceutical companies, the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm recently applied for approval to release its self-developed vaccine.
If officially approved, China will become the second country after Russia to supply vaccines to the general public with regulatory approval. However, it is important to note that this vaccine has not disclosed clinical trial data, raising safety concerns.
South Korea, which is receiving global attention for its K-quarantine efforts, is also showing prompt responses.
The government expects that all three domestically developed COVID-19 vaccines will enter clinical trials as early as this year.
On the 26th, Park Neung-hoo, Minister of Health and Welfare, stated, "We are pushing to contract for more vaccine doses than the initially targeted 30 million." This development in vaccine and treatment development and distribution to end COVID-19 is promising.
Meanwhile, with less than a week remaining until the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), concerns among examinees and parents are high. Gangnam-gu has formed a 'Quarantine Management Task Force' starting the 26th and is doing its best to establish a meticulous quarantine system, including setting up separate testing sites for examinees who require self-quarantine.
Examinees who have undergone or plan to undergo testing before the CSAT must report this to the education office to be assigned a test site.
Furthermore, Gangnam-gu plans to prioritize specimen testing for examinees until the day before the CSAT. Examinees wishing to undergo diagnostic testing are encouraged to visit the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center for specimen collection.
This year's CSAT scene will differ from previous years when juniors cheered noisily in front of the school gate. Strict adherence to quarantine rules is the only guarantee for a safe CSAT.
The quarantine authorities predict that, assuming social distancing is effective, the peak will pass in the latter half of next week when the CSAT takes place.
District Mayor Jung Soon-gyun said, "Please keep in mind that a small lapse by one person can lead to a large spread. I repeatedly urge everyone to refrain from going out as much as possible until COVID-19 subsides."
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