South Korea records decrease in infections and want to show how to beat corona
The number of new coronavirus infections in South Korea has fallen below 100 for the first time in just over three weeks. President Moon Jae-in calls for the organization of a conference call between the G20 countries. The country is keen to share the lessons learned from the fight against the spread of Covid-19 with the world.
On Saturday, 76 new cases were registered in South Korea, bringing the total number of officially diagnosed infections in the country to 8,162. The number of deaths, on the other hand, increased enormously, from 3 to 75.
South Korea also reported Friday a higher number of cures than the number of new infections. That was the first time since the start of the epidemic. Most cases occurred in the city of Daegu and the surrounding area, in the southeast of the country, according to figures released by local health authorities.
Recently, South Korea had the second-highest number of infections in the world but is now praised for its practical approach to the corona pandemic. For example, South Korea has rapidly started testing people on Covid-19. Infections can, therefore, be detected early.
In South Korea, every resident (the country has 53 million) can be tested for free. One of those test centers is, according to the designers, inspired by the drive-thrus of McDonald’s and Starbucks. You drive in by car and are examined while you remain in the car. After ten minutes, the result is known, and you can – if the test is negative – just drive on.
South Korean residents can also download two apps that show if you’re near a place once visited by a corona patient. The applications are a huge success. The data is made public by the government in South Korea. The South Koreans also, according to the government advice en masse to keep distance and avoid meetings.
These measures seem to be working, and President Moon Jae-in now wants to show the rest of the world how his country is fighting Covid-19. According to the press agency Bloomberg, Jae-in has proposed to his American colleague Donald Trump to organize a G20 summit by teleconference, which sounds like a Seoul statement. The G20 is a group of nineteen countries and the European Union that represents the lion’s share of the world economy.
South Korea proposes to share information at the meeting on how the country succeeds in tackling the national distribution of Covid-19. It also aims to share clinical trial results and discuss measures that can counter the impact of the outbreak on the global economy, the statement said.
South Korean President National Security Adviser Chung Eui-Yong discussed the proposal over the phone with his American counterpart, Robert O’Brien, on Sunday. According to the US national security adviser, President Donald Trump would “actively consider” the South Korean idea, according to Bloomberg news agency.
