
COVID-19 cases forecast to rise later this month: health authorities
COVID-19 infections in South Korea are forecast to steadily rise later this month ahead of the summer vacation season, health authorities said Tuesday, urging older adults and vulnerable groups to receive vaccinations.
South Korea had seen a steady increase in COVID-19 cases in summer, and this year is expected to be similar to previous years, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Last year, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients swelled to 1,444 in the third week of August, from 1,362 in the second week and 864 in the first week.
The number of COVID-19 patients had remained steady at around 100 for the past four weeks, but other nations, such as Thailand and Taiwan, have been suffering a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, which have been exacerbated by variants.
The country is offering free COVID-19 vaccination to those aged 65 or older, vulnerable to COVID-19 infections and high-risk groups by the end of this month.
As of Monday, around 47.5 percent of those aged 65 or more had received vaccination against COVID-19, according to the KDCA. (Yonhap)

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
Salmonella outbreak linked to school lunches expands to Sejong, Buan
A salmonella outbreak initially reported in North Chungcheong Province has spread to Sejong and Buan, North Jeolla Province, according to health authorities on Friday. The total number of group infection cases caused by the consumption of bakery products served in school meals has risen to four, with 208 individuals exhibiting symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The outbreak was first detected after students at two group meal facilities in Cheongju and Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, reported symptoms of food poisoning following the consumption of bread products on May 15. Subsequent investigations by the KDCA revealed the presence of a genetically identical strain of salmonella in both the patients and the food samples. In response, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on June 5 issued a recall and sales suspension for two specific products: high-calcium strawberry cream roll cake and high-calcium Korean wheat choco banana bread. These items were produced by Mother Goose, a food manufacturer, and distributed by Pulmuone's subsidiary Foodmerce. The recalled products had expiration dates of Oct. 12 and Sept. 21, respectively. Since then, two additional clusters linked to the same products have been reported — one in Sejong (served on May 16) and another in Buan (served on May 15), both involving the strawberry cream roll cake. As of Friday, reported symptomatic cases include 120 from Cheongju, 35 from Jincheon, 18 from Sejong and 35 from Buan. The KDCA is currently monitoring other facilities that received the suspect products to assess any additional cases.


Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
S. Korea to partially resume poultry imports from Brazil amid bird flu outbreak
S. Korea to partially resume poultry imports from Brazil amid bird flu outbreak South Korea will resume imports of poultry and related products from regions in Brazil unaffected by a recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the agriculture ministry said Tuesday, amid possible supply shortage concerns. The decision comes amid growing concerns over potential domestic supply shortages following the suspension of imports from the South American country, which accounts for more than 80 percent of South Korea's chicken imports. The ministry said it has agreed on terms of imports of poultry with the Brazilian authorities. Seoul imposed a ban on poultry imports from Brazil in mid-May, following the country's official notification to the World Organization for Animal Health of an HPAI outbreak at a breeder farm in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Brazil is the world's largest exporter of chicken. Last year, South Korea imported 158,000 tons of chicken from Brazil, which accounted for 86 percent of the total import of 183,600 tons. The chicken from Brazil also made up for some 20 percent of domestic demand totaling 791,000 tons. (Yonhap)


Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
COVID-19 cases forecast to rise later this month: health authorities
COVID-19 infections in South Korea are forecast to steadily rise later this month ahead of the summer vacation season, health authorities said Tuesday, urging older adults and vulnerable groups to receive vaccinations. South Korea had seen a steady increase in COVID-19 cases in summer, and this year is expected to be similar to previous years, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Last year, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients swelled to 1,444 in the third week of August, from 1,362 in the second week and 864 in the first week. The number of COVID-19 patients had remained steady at around 100 for the past four weeks, but other nations, such as Thailand and Taiwan, have been suffering a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, which have been exacerbated by variants. The country is offering free COVID-19 vaccination to those aged 65 or older, vulnerable to COVID-19 infections and high-risk groups by the end of this month. As of Monday, around 47.5 percent of those aged 65 or more had received vaccination against COVID-19, according to the KDCA. (Yonhap)