Watchful of summer COVID-19 resurgence, Korea urges older adults to get vaccinated
At a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting Friday, Director Lee Han-kyung warned of worsening COVID-19 trends abroad.
"In regions close to us — Hong Kong, China and Thailand — COVID-19 infections are rising, and this is a cause for concern," Lee said at the meeting.
He urged senior citizens aged 65 and above, as well as residents in high-risk facilities, to get vaccinated, stressing that vaccination is key to preventing severe illness and death.
According to government data, recent overseas COVID-19 cases are showing a noticeable uptick.
In Hong Kong, confirmed cases for the week of May 11 to 17 totaled 977, exceeding the country's previous summer peak of 796. China's rate of positivity COVID-19 test results is steadily climbing toward last year's peak of 21.1 percent, while in Thailand, more than 65,000 new cases were reported in the three weeks following the Songkran holiday in April.
Despite the global trend, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Korea remained at around 100 each week over the past month. Currently, South Korea estimates the number of confirmed cases in select hospitals on a weekly basis.
Still, the government is taking a proactive stance in consideration that domestic cases last year surged sharply from late July to mid-August. Weekly confirmed cases jumped from 456 in the fourth week of July to over 1,400 by mid-August in 2023.
To mitigate potential risks, health authorities have extended the vaccination period for high-risk groups until June 30, two months beyond the initial April 30 deadline.
The Korean Medical Association also issued a public advisory, pointing to the seasonal temperature shifts, increased domestic and international travel and a noticeable drop in personal hygiene practices such as hand-washing.
It recommended six precautionary measures: maintaining personal hygiene, wearing masks, prompt response to symptoms, testing for high-risk individuals and recent international travelers, getting vaccinated and improving indoor ventilation.
Recalling difficulties caused by last summer's surge, the association emphasized that preventive habits such as hand-washing and mask-wearing remain crucial.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
SK Bioscience, Gates Foundation discuss ways to advance global health
Bill Gates expected to meet with SK Group chair for bioscience, energy cooperation SK Bioscience discussed ways to improve global health with the Gates Foundation, the Korean vaccine and biotechnology firm said Thursday. According to SK Bioscience, SK Discovery Vice Chair Chey Chang-won and SK Bioscience CEO Ahn Jae-yong met with key representatives from the Gates Foundation, including Trevor Mundel, president of global health at the Gates Foundation, in Yeouido, Seoul on the previous day. During the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed their long-standing partnership, which dates back to 2013 when they began collaborating on numerous pro-health initiatives, while reiterating their shared commitment to cooperating on vaccine development and public health projects for the world. They also explored ways to expand joint efforts to discover next-generation preventative medicines with an emphasis on research and development for pandemic preparedness. SK Bioscience and the Gates Foundation have worked together on a number of projects, including the development of typhoid and pediatric diarrhea vaccines and other antiviral preventative solutions. They successfully developed and commercialized SKYCovione, Korea's first homemade COVID-19 vaccine, in 2022. In the same year, Bill Gates traveled to Korea to celebrate the achievement as he met with SK Group Chair Chey Tae-won and SK Discovery Vice Chairman Chey Chang-won. Visiting Seoul this week, Gates is reportedly expected to meet with SK Group Chair Chey on Thursday. SK Inc. and SK Innovation invested $250 million in Gates-founded small modular reactor developer TerraPower in 2022. Chey and Gates are likely to discuss cooperation in bioscience and energy. The Research Investment for Global Health Technology, or RIGHT, Foundation announced that it held a meeting with the Gates Foundation on Wednesday as well as Korean companies — Bioneer, EuBiologics, LG Chem, Noul, SD Biosensor, SK Bioscience and QuadMedicine — to share the Gates Foundation's global health investments and Korean companies' development progress of vaccines, medicines and diagnosis devices. The RIGHT Foundation was established by Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Gates Foundation and Korean companies as a non-profit organization aimed at improving health fairness of infectious diseases in mid- to low-income nations in 2018. So far, it has provided 118.9 billion won ($85 million) in support for 73 vaccine, medicine and diagnostic device R&D projects in collaboration with 110 partners.
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Seoul hotel scene heats up as luxury chains, global funds move in
Rosewood, Mandarin Oriental, Ritz-Carlton plan openings while Goldman Sachs, GIC target mid-scale deals Fueled by a surge in the number of visitors, Seoul's hotel scene is growing more vibrant, drawing in luxury hotel brands and foreign investors looking for a bite of the booming market. Just two or three years ago, many hotel properties had been either converted into office space or closed altogether due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with inbound tourism rebounding, hotels are attracting renewed attention. According to data released by the Korea Tourism Organization on July 31, a total of 8.83 million foreign visitors came to Korea between January and June, up 1.12 million from the same period last year. The figure marks a 104 percent recovery from the pre-pandemic level in 2019. An increasing number of top-tier luxury hotel brands are looking to establish a presence in Seoul. Rosewood Seoul is set to open at The Parkside Seoul, a development occupying the former site of the United Nations Command in central Seoul in 2027, while Capella Hotels & Resorts, a Singapore-based hospitality group recognized for its ultra-luxury positioning, will introduce Capella Residences Seoul in southern Seoul in the same year. Though Korea continues to lack an Aman property -- renowned for its ultra-luxury offerings -- Aman Group is set to make its first foray into Korea through its second brand, Janu, with two upcoming properties: one in Seoul and another on Jeju Island in 2027. Korea will become Janu's sixth global destination and its second in Northeast Asia following Tokyo. Although Janu Seoul was initially expected to be developed at a site near Seoul Station, the plan has fallen through. The property is now likely to be located in Cheongdam, an affluent district in southern Seoul. Instead, a Mandarin Oriental hotel will step into the Seoul Station development site by 2029, becoming the brand's first location here. The Ritz-Carlton, a top-tier franchise under hotel giant Marriott International, is set to open at the redeveloped Millennium Hilton Seoul site in central Seoul by 2031. 'Seoul was once said to lack true luxury hotels, but its luxury hospitality landscape is now evolving rapidly,' an official from a local real estate asset manager said. 'This trend is fueled by the city's appeal to both international visitors and the affluent domestic population.' Mid-scale deals surge Along with rising demand for accommodation, four-star properties are seeing an increase in foreign investor interest as well. The improved profitability of mid-range and budget hotels could be the main driver behind the appeal. A recent report by global real estate services firm JLL showed that revenue per available room at such hotels in Seoul rose 23.4 percent last year from a year earlier, outpacing the 14.4 percent growth seen in luxury hotels. 'Foreign investors are lining up to inquire about investing in local hotel properties,' said a banker specializing in offshore investments. 'While foreign investors have traditionally focused on high-end hotels given their scale of investments, they are now expanding their interest to smaller, mid-scale properties as well.' In July, Goldman Sachs co-acquired the Mercure Ambassador Hotel Hongdae for 262 billion won ($187 million) with local asset manager JB Asset Management. The four-star hotel located in the vibrant Hongdae district in western Seoul marks the equity giant's inaugural hotel investment in Korea. Earlier this year, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC was selected as the preferred bidder to acquire three properties operated by Glad Hotel & Resort -- Glad Yeouido, Glad Gangnam Coex Center and Maison Glad Jeju -- in a deal estimated at a total of 600 billion won ($437 million). The Glad brand, under the wings of local builder DL Group, is positioned in the mid-scale segment. 'Visitor arrivals continue to recover strongly, with the value of existing hotels on an upward trend due to limited new supply and rising development costs. These factors will ensure an active hotel acquisition and disposition market,' Clair Choi, head of research at global real estate service firm CBRE, noted in a recent report.
Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Legalizing nonmedical tattooing clears first hurdle in parliament
If proposal clears four more stages, including a full Assembly vote and presidential sign-off, South Korea could legalize nonmedical tattooing as early as November South Korea just took its first real step toward legalizing tattoos performed by nonmedical doctors, after banning the practice for more than three decades. On Thursday, a South Korean parliamentary subcommittee approved the country's first-ever bill to officially recognize tattooing as a legal profession outside of medical practice. The move could allow trained tattooists to work legally without medical licenses, upending a 33-year-old legal barrier that has long criminalized the craft and driven it underground. Tattooing in South Korea has technically been illegal for nonmedical professionals since the Supreme Court, in a 1992 ruling, defined it as a medical procedure. Since then, only licensed doctors have been allowed to perform tattoos under the country's Medical Services Act. In practice, however, thousands of tattoo artists have operated underground, risking arrest for practicing without a license. The proposed Tattooist Act was passed after a nine-hour review by the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Legislation Subcommittee. Around 60 members of the Korea Tattoo Federation, who had gathered at the National Assembly all day to await the result, cheered the announcement. Korea Tattoo Federation President Im Bo-ran said the organization had fought for 12 years to end the social stigma and legal restrictions facing tattooists. 'Now that we've taken the first step, we will continue to push for the remaining stages of approval with a unified voice,' she told local press on site. Four more legislative steps remain. The full Health and Welfare Committee will vote on the bill on Aug. 27. From there, it must pass through a judicial subcommittee, a plenary session of the Judiciary Committee, and then the full National Assembly. If passed, it will require final approval from President Lee Jae Myung, who pledged to legalize tattooing during his 2022 campaign. Observers say the law could take effect as early as November. The bill seeks to formally license tattooists through a government-run national exam. Applicants who pass would receive official licenses from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The goal, according to the ministry, is to manage the profession like any other public health-related service, with strict oversight on hygiene and safety. A draft of the unified legislation, obtained earlier this month by local outlet Money Today, includes several key provisions: tattooists would be allowed to use over-the-counter anesthetics approved by the ministry, but would be banned from performing tattoo removals or using laser devices. These clauses address growing concerns over unregulated procedures involving illegal imports of Chinese-made anesthetic creams and laser machines, which have reportedly flooded private tattoo studios across the country. Tattooists would also be required to report side effects from procedures, maintain hygiene standards, and join a mutual aid insurance program to compensate for damages, regardless of fault. The bill also introduces new legal protections for whistleblowers who report illegal activity under the Public Interest Whistleblower Protection Act. The Korean Medical Association rejected the legislation as harmful to public health. 'Tattooing poses serious risks, and we will not stand idly by if this law advances under pressure from interest groups and public sentiment,' it said in a statement.
