In South Korea, in view of new highs in the number of coronavirus infections, the capital Seoul will be subject to a curfew from 21.00 hours tomorrow (local time). Mayor Seo Jeong Hyup today justified the measure with 295 new cases in the metropolis, which is home to around ten million people. South Korea as a whole registered 629 new infections, the highest number of daily infections in nine months.
The government called on the population to abandon Christmas and New Year celebrations. Prime Minister Chung Sye Kyun announced that a decision would be made on Sunday whether to close the country’s 30,000 or so karaoke bars and limit religious gatherings to a maximum of 20 participants.
Worries about entrance examinations for universities
Consideration is also being given to excluding fans from sporting events and allowing social gatherings with a maximum of 50 people. The upcoming entrance examinations at the universities are a cause for concern. More than 200,000 first-year students will be travelling around the country. Karaoke bars and Internet cafes are particularly popular with them.
In South Korea, the pandemic was relatively mild during the summer, after peaks were reached in February and March. According to official figures, a total of 36,332 people have been infected with the pathogen to date, 536 of whom have died.
hp, Source: ORF.at/agencies, picture: pixabay.at
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