China is slowly recovering from the coronavirus outbreak that hit the country hard earlier this year but a second wave could be at hand, as other Asian countries also attempt to contain the highly-infectious CoVID-19 strain.
Chinese County Central in Potential Second Wave of CoVID-19 Infections
The Jia county in Henan province has been put at the center of talks in what could be the beginning of a second wave of CoVID-19 infections in China.
According to the South China Morning Post, Henan authorities are now tracking down close contacts of three doctors who tested positive of the novel coronavirus but are dubbed as "silent carriers" due to their asymptomatic status.
The positive results of the said three doctors raised concerns about a potential second wave of an outbreak in China following the devastating losses from the previous outbreak in the virus' origin city, Wuhan.
China registered at least 82,432 confirmed CoVID-19 cases as of Thursday and at least 3,322 deaths.
Over 8,000 in Monitoring After Watching Musical
In South Korea, over 8,000 audiences who watched the musical "Phantom of the Opera" in Seoul will be placed under medical monitoring after two cast members of the show tested CoVID-19 positive, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
At a press briefing, an official working with the Seoul government's anti-coronavirus efforts, Na Baek-joo confirmed that 8,578 will be closely monitored and provided with appropriate recommendations should they experience symptoms.
As of Friday, South Korea has reported a total of 10,062 confirmed CoVID-19 cases and at least 169 deaths.
North Korea Still has 500 in Quarantine
State media on Friday reported that the country still has around 500 people in quarantine. The number marks a significant drop from last week's update wherein state media revealed that around 2,280 people were being isolated.
The Korean Central News Agency reported last week that people who were placed under medical monitoring have been released since they did not display coronavirus symptoms throughout their two-week quarantine.
North Korea has yet to report official CoVID-19 cases.
Japanese Government to Provide 300,000 Yen for Each Household
The Liberal Democratic Party under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday agreed to provide 300,000 yen or approximately $2,800 in cash to all households suffering from the economic fallout brought about by the CoVID-19 crisis, Kyodo News reported.
Japan has a household population of 58 million and it is expected that around 10 million households will receive the government aid.
As of Thursday, Japan registered a total of 3,483 confirmed CoVID-19 cases.
Australia Confirms 3 More Deaths
Health authorities in Australia confirmed on Friday that three more people have succumbed to the coronavirus, the Anadolu Agency reported.
The health ministries of Victoria and New South Wales revealed that the deceased patients were all elderly, aged between 70 to 80. The news came after the government called on retired healthcare providers to return to work due to the spike in new coronavirus cases in the country.
As of Friday, Australia recorded a total of 5,314 confirmed CoVID-19 cases and 27 deaths from the novel virus. 520 people have since recovered fully and have been discharged from hospitals.
