South Korea sees evidence of coronavirus outbreak stabilising

South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still reported 60 newly confirmed cases, including 39 linked to people arriving from abroad.

Published: 17th July 2020 11:24 AM  |   Last Updated: 17th July 2020 11:24 AM   |  A+A A-

south korea coronavirus

South Korean soldiers wearing protective gears disinfect as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a train station in Daejeon, South Korea. (Photo | AP)

By Associated Press

SEOUL: South Korean health officials were optimistic Friday that the country's COVID-19 outbreak is coming under control despite a spike in infections tied to international arrivals.

Senior Health Ministry official Yoon Tae-ho said during a briefing Friday that the spread of the coronavirus was clearly stabilizing in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area and other major cities, where transmissions had spiked since late May.

South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still reported 60 newly confirmed cases, including 39 linked to people arriving from abroad.

Yoon said imported cases were less threatening than local transmissions because the country is enforcing two-week quarantines on all people arriving from abroad and having them tested within three days.

The government plans to airlift more South Korean workers next week from Iraq where an outbreak has been growing.

Health authorities have confirmed 34 cases among some 100 construction workers who returned from a chartered flight earlier this week.