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South Korea prepares for vaccine rollout as COVID-19 spreads

Thursday, 11 February 2021 10:33 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 11 February 2021 10:33 PM ]

Frank Smith
Press TV, Seoul

The South Korean government has announced that it will begin COVID-19 vaccinations for its people later this month. This comes as the country is struggling with a growing number of daily coronavirus infections.

South Korea Thursday announced the most daily new COVID-19 cases in two weeks, as more than 500 people were found to have contracted the virus. South Korea now has about 80,000 cases and 1,500 deaths from COVID-19. The government plans to begin vaccinations for its 52 million people later this month.

Meanwhile on Thursday, many South Koreans travelled back to their hometowns for the Lunar New Year holiday.

South Korea has tried to strike a balance between containing the spread of the virus and social and economic sacrifice. Cafes and restaurants have pretty much stayed open, with restrictions on seating and hours. And wearing a mask in public or while taking mass transportation is quite strictly enforced.

Most public places have temperature checking sensors. For private businesses people are required to sign in on paper, or digitally. Still most were glad to travel, albeit carefully.

Still the vaccine will be welcome, as many businesses have closed and unemployment spiked.

Although people generally follow the rules here, new variants have been discovered in the country, and health officials warn virus levels may again increase, prompting stricter measures.

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