South Korea: More recoveries reported than coronavirus cases for the first time

South Korea, which once had the largest coronavirus cases outside China, has now seen its newly recovered patients exceed fresh infections for the first time. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) recorded 110 new coronavirus cases on March 13 and in contrast, 117 patients were reportedly released from hospitals where they had been isolated for treatment. This marked the first time that the daily number of recovered people exceeded that of new infection since South Korea's first patient was confirmed. 

While speaking to an international media outlet, KCDC chief Jeong Eun-kyeong said that the downward trend in new cases is expected to persist as more self-quarantined patients are expected to be discharged in the coming days. Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun, however, reportedly said that even though the country has managed to turn the corner, there are still concerns about overseas inflows, as well as possible infections in Seoul as new clusters of infections emerged at a call centre in a crowded part of the city. 

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Extensive checks to be carried out

According to reports, out of the new 110 new cases, at least 109 cases so far have been linked to the call centre whose 800-strong workforce is now being tested or in quarantine for monitoring. However, the rate of increase in new infections has still been slowing over the past couple of days. The South Korean authorities have also decided to carry out extensive checks on some 10,500 computer cafes and karaoke bars as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. 

First detected in the city of Wuhan, in Hubei Province of China, the virus outbreak has disrupted many lives since December 2019. As per reports, the total number of confirmed cases within China has reportedly hit 80,814 and more than 134,000 worldwide. According to reports, the death toll in China has also surpassed 3,000 and the National Health Commission also confirmed 21 new cases. The death toll due to the deadly virus across the world also mounted to 4,990.

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