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| A medical worker at a COVID-19 testing center in Daegu puts an ice pack on her neck to cool off, July 6. Yonhap |
Government's plan to fully lift indoor mask mandate raises concerns
By Jun Ji-hye
COVID-19 is showing signs of a resurgence in Korea as the numbers of daily new cases have increased for three consecutive weeks to reach over 30,000.
The number of patients who were diagnosed with or suspected of having seasonal influenza has also risen in recent weeks, which is considered unprecedented, given that epidemics of influenza usually break out in winter.
Amid the so-called "twindemic" of COVID-19 and the flu, health experts raised concerns over the government's plan to fully lift the remaining indoor mask rules as early as next month.
According to the latest data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the number of new COVID-19 patients increased 22.2 percent to 186,953 in the second week of July from the previous week.
The daily average of new infections for that week was tallied at 26,708, up from 21,857 the previous week.
In particular, the daily caseloads stood at 31,224 on July 11, exceeding the 30,000 mark for the first time since Jan. 26, and rose to 34,210 the following day.
Eom Joong-sik, a professor of infectious diseases at Gachon University Medical Center, forecast the numbers of daily new cases to peak at 50,000 to 60,000 in coming weeks.
The average number of daily new cases per week has been rising since June when the government lifted almost all pandemic-related restrictions, freeing people to return to aspects of pre-pandemic normality.
At the time, the government changed the seven-day mandatory isolation period for COVID-19 patients to a recommended five days of isolation, and lifted indoor mask rules in most places, except for general hospitals and other high-risk places such as nursing facilities for the elderly.
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| People wear face masks at Chonnam National University Hospital in Gwangju, June 1, as masks remained mandatory at general hospitals, even after the government lifted almost all COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions that month. The final mask rules are expected to be fully lifted as early as next month. Newsis |
Since then, the average number of daily new cases, which was tallied at 16,025 in the third week of June, increased to 17,442 in the fourth week of June, to 21,857 in the first week of July and to 26,708 in the second week of July.
Still, the numbers of critically ill patients or deaths remain stable, according to the KDCA.
The number of patients who were diagnosed with or suspected of having seasonal influenza has also continued to increase, despite the hot summer weather.
According to a report issued by the KDCA, 16.9 among 1,000 patients that visited 196 hospitals monitored by the agency from July 9 to 15 showed flu-like symptoms.
The figure has increased for three consecutive weeks from 16.3 from the previous week and 16.1 the week before, and is much higher than the season's benchmark of 4.9.
"The epidemics of influenza have continued unprecedentedly in summer," the KDCA said in its report.
Despite the increasing numbers of COVID-19 and flu patients, the government is planning to adjust COVID-19's infection classification level to the lowest Class 4, alongside the flu, as early as next month from the current Class 2.
Under this decision, the remaining indoor mask rules will be fully lifted across the country and state support of costs for testing and medical treatment will no longer be offered.
Experts urged the government to make thorough preparations for young children, the elderly and patients with compromised immune systems.
"The continued increase in the number of flu patients is a kind of phenomenon emerging in the stage entering the endemic phase from the COVID-19 pandemic," said Kim Woo-joo, a professor of infectious diseases at Korea University. "The number of both COVID-19 and flu patients could increase in September and October when the weather gets cooler."
