Jaime LeeSouth Korea is in the midst of battling its second wave of COVID-19 infections, as reported by South Korea’s health authorities for the first time.
Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) director Jeong Eun-kyeong said that a holiday weekend in early May this year sparked the beginning of a new wave of COVID-19 infections. This occurred in the densely populated greater Seoul area, which had previously experienced few cases. According to reports, KCDC had previously stated that South Korea’s first wave of infections had never really ended.
In end-February, South Korea reported a peak of more than 900 cases in one day. Thankfully, South Korea brought the number of infections down to single digits by late April, following intensive tracking and testing.
South Korea announced that it would be easing social distancing guidelines in early May. However, just as South Korea made the announcement, it experienced a surge in new cases. This spike in infections is said to stem partly from young people who frequented bars and nightclubs in Seoul during the holiday weekend. As of writing, South Korea has experienced 12,484 cases and 281 deaths.
To travellers, we feel your sadness at not being able to explore the Land of the Morning Calm for now. More importantly, let’s continue supporting our frontliners until the world sees the end of this pandemic.
