Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - South Korea did not register any case of local infection yesterday: it is the first time since 15 February. On the other hand, 4 infections are imported from abroad. The country proves to be among the most capable of containing the pulmonary pandemic.
Overall, 10765 are infected; 247 the dead. The mortality rate is 2.29%, much lower than the 13.58% of Italy (among the most affected nations), and better than that of China (5.52%), the epicenter of the infection. The largest number of South Korean victims is counted among people over 80; no deaths among those under the age of 25. The attention of the government is now turned to imported cases, which are 1065; 90% of them are South Korean citizens.
Seoul has adopted a more "democratic" form of intervention than Beijing's draconian one. Speed of action is the key to success, strengthened by the excellence of the national health system. The government quickly closed the borders with China, introducing strict quarantine measures for those entering the country. Health authorities then launched mass diagnostic tests to identify possible infects, and map all their contacts with other people.
In the coming days, at the end of a holiday period, South Korean leaders will evaluate whether to mitigate the obligation of social distancing. If so, most schools and workplaces will reopen.
Taiwan, another Asian democracy, is also distinguished by its ability to contain Covid-19. Yesterday, for the 4th consecutive day, there was no infection on the island. The total cases are 429 and 6 deaths.
