#15,251
After a very rocky start - with hundreds of new COVID-19 cases being reported each day - in early March South Korea declared `war' on the virus. They began testing aggressively and isolated any positive cases, potentially exposed individuals were quarantined, and they heavily promoted social distancing along with hand and respiratory hygiene.
As a result, over the past 40 days, South Korea has reported just over 1,300 new cases - and in recent days - has routinely been reporting daily totals in the single digits. Even better, many of those cases have been imported.Three days ago they reported 12 cases, but 11 of those were imported. Two days ago they reported 18 cases . . . but this time 17 were domestic. Over the past 24 hours, South Korea has reported the largest number of new cases in nearly a month (n=34), and once again the majority of these new cases (n=26) are domestically acquired.
According to media reports, at least two dozen cases a linked to a 29-year-old man who tested positive after spending time at five clubs and bars in Itaewon last weekend. As result, on Saturday the Mayor of Seoul issued an Administrative Order closing all bars and nightclubs in the city for at least the next 30 days.
Although many countries half their size would be happy to report just 34 new cases in a single day, this is a reminder that no matter how close you get to zero, without continual vigilance there are always going to be opportunities for the virus to flare again.
