Imported cases and the growth of multiple COVID-19 clusters in South Korea has led to a rebound in new daily infections across the country, especially in major cities.
Daily Cases Bounce Back above 60
On Monday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 62 new coronavirus cases in the country, bringing the national infection toll to 13,479.
The spike in new cases was primarily driven by an increase in imported cases as more travel restrictions are lifted. Furthermore, cluster infections are still trending in metro areas and big cities in South Korea.
Monday's log marked the highest daily increase in the country for almost four months. It is worth noting that during the weekend, there were only 44 and 35 new infections on Sunday and Saturday respectively.
Health experts have been raising concerns about the potential risks that the lifting of travel restrictions could bring. The government has since responded by requiring certificates for arrivals from specific high-risk countries.
High-Risk Nations Identified
Among the "high-risk" nations specified by the government are Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan. Starting Monday, arrivals from the said nations will be required to present proof that they tested negative of COVID-19 before arriving to South Korea.
As part of the efforts to prevent the increase of imported cases in the country, the government has also mandated regular flights from high-risk nations to schedule flights that are only limited to 60 percent of passenger capacity.
11 additional countries are currently being closely monitored by health and flight authorities in South Korea. Should widespread outbreaks take place in the said countries, it is expected that the government will add them to the list of high-risk countries.
Nearly a Dozen More American Soldiers Test Positive
Meanwhile, all eyes are on the government following the news that eleven more U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea have contracted the novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 74.
The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) made the announcement on Monday, further noting that the new cases tested positive on the first mandatory COVID-19 test that they had to take before self-isolating.
Amid heightening concerns about the health safety of chartered flights, the USFK said all passengers of the said flights, as well as commercial flights are being tested upon arrival and brought to quarantine sites without allowing passengers to interact with others outside the flights.
Hope for COVID-19 Treatment
As the country continues to attempt controlling what could be its second wave of coronavirus infections, health authorities in South Korea revealed that one in three patients in the country who initially had serious symptoms showed improvements after taking remdesivir.
Remdesivir is an antiviral experimental drug by Gilead Sciences and the medicine has been used for treatment trials over the past few months.
Despite the good news, South Korean health authorities pointed out that more research is necessary to determine whether the improvements in the severe patients could have been helped by other factors besides the use of remdesivir.
Other factors that could help a COVID-19 patient's recovery include a mix of recommended therapies and the patient's health or immunity before contracting the disease.
