South Korea to ease social distancing measures as COVID-19 cases drop

South Korea said that it will further ease the social distancing norms effective May 6 that would allow businesses to resume in the phased reopening, as the country managed to plank the curve and slowed the rate of infection, Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun told the daily press briefing. In a major, PM Sye-Kyun said that he might permit the public gathering and events if they adhered to the disinfection guidelines, he told a televised meeting of government officials. 

With over 10,793 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the country declared that it brought the pandemic situation in its territory under control via elaborate "trace, test and treat” implementation program, as per media reports. With a death toll as low as 250, South Korea announced that it would bring the normal quarantine protocols that adjust to everyday lives as of May 6. With only 13 new cases recorded the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) told the press briefing that at least 10 out of the total cases were imported.  

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PCR testing fault showed relapse

Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun said in a meeting that the revised relaxation guidelines were aimed to rise from the social and economic burdens as a result of the virus outbreak, state media reported. Maintaining at least two meters of distance was essential as the country prepared to restore normalcy in everyday lives. Some sports, such as baseball and soccer, which would have season scheduled and were postponed due to the COVID-19 would resume behind closed doors without an audience, he added. 

According to reports, the Buddha's birthday on May 5 might witness relaxation for the general public as the country will resume "everyday life quarantine", implying the normal routine of schools and everyday business operations, as per local media reports. Further, a clinical expert panel concluded that the COVID-19 patients in the country that reported they had a relapse of the virus were not "reactivated" or reinfected, but were false positives. The committee’s head was reported as saying that due to the technical limits of PCR testing the false positives had been detected.  

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