COVID Surges in Korea – Where are we now?  

Source: pixabay 

In many countries the attitude towards COVID is that ‘the worst is over’ and the pandemic is waning.  However, the figures tell a different story.  22 July 2021 marked the highest daily number of newly confirmed COVID patients in Korea (1,842) since the epidemic was first recorded 18 months ago.  Like many locations around the world, the recent emergence of the Delta variant is the driving force.  In Korea, it accounted for 76% of new cases over the past week.  Epidemiology experts believe that the current wave of cases has yet to peak. 

Daily New COVID cases in Korea (last 18 months): 

Korea remains one of the exemplary examples of containing the virus, recording a total to date of 184,103 cases or 354 per 100,000.  Fatalities are 2,063 or 4 per 100,000.  Transmission has been kept in check even without any lockdowns due to aggressive implementation of the ‘3Ts’: testing, tracing and treating.   

Vaccination rollout 

Rollout of the vaccine has been slow due to delays in securing sufficient doses.  As of yesterday, 31.5% of the population has received at least one dose and 12.9% are fully vaccinated.  A disproportionate number of recent victims are the young who are not yet eligible for the vaccine under Korea’s aged-based rollout.  Compounding the problem is that the vaccination schedule was paused when the most recent outbreak surged two weeks ago.  When the online registration site was re-opened to resume vaccinations for people in their late 50’s, it crashed as citizens rushed to book their appointments.   

Vaccination rollout (to date):  

Single dose / fully vaccinated 

Even those vaccinated are not immune to the virus.  Korea’s Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reported that as of 21 July, 647 people tested positive for the virus even after they were fully vaccinated.   This is more than double the number recorded just two weeks prior on 8 July.  However, only four of the 647 cases were reported as ‘serious’ and none have been fatal.  

One silver lining is that the number of deaths from the disease has fallen and continues to drop even as new cases emerge.   

Deaths from COVID (last 18 Months): 

Where to from here? 

Last month, the Korean government floated a loosening of COVID restrictions. However they were quickly forced to retract and upgrade them even before they went into effect in response to the latest surge in cases.  For the wider Seoul area - which includes Gyeonggi Province and Incheon - the fourth and strictest level of social distancing is set to expire on Sunday.  No more than two people can mingle after 6 p.m. under the current restrictions, among other measures.  Korea’s front-line hospitals are once again facing a stream of patients, and health care workers are reporting exhaustion (according to an article in the 21 July 2021 Korea Herald).  

Despite the fact Koreans are weary of the pandemic and all it has entailed over the past 18 months the future of free movement and open international travel remains a distant prospect.