The woman from Daegu who it is unknown how she contracted the coronavirus has now being called a “superspreader” because of how she likely infected 18 other people at her church:

South Korea confirmed 20 more cases of the novel coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the total number of infections here to 51, with most new patients traced to church services, stoking concerns that the country may identify more virus patients despite tighter quarantine measures.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), 18 of the new patients are in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and in the adjacent North Gyeongsang region.

The country’s 31st patient, probably a coronavirus “super spreader,” is believed to have infected at least 15 others and came in contact with 166 people. The 61-year-old woman, a Daegu resident, started to complain of a fever on Feb. 10 and was confirmed to be infected Tuesday.

A preliminary epidemiological investigation shows that the potential super spreader attended several of the same church services as the other newly confirmed patients and had direct contact with one person at a Daegu hospital.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but this lady for Daegu has been using mass transportation in the days before the symptoms of coronavirus began to show. If people in her church became infected it seems people in mass transit with her could get infected as well.

I think one thing that will come out of this is that church attendance across the country will drop.

Anyone surprised that the Moon administration is blaming the poor Korean economy on the coronavirus? They are basically arguing that the Korean economy was on the verge of turning around until the coronavirus hit:

President Moon Jae-in ordered his cabinet on Tuesday to mobilize all available “special” means to handle the “emergency economic situations” attributable to the continued spread of the new coronavirus.

“Emergency situations require an emergency prescription. The current situation is much more serious than [we] thought,” Moon said during his opening remarks during a weekly cabinet meeting at the Blue House. “It is the time when special measures are absolutely necessary to use every possible means that the government can mobilize.”

Moon’s call reflects his resolve to minimize the epidemic’s impact on the Korean economy, which the government said was on the cusp of revival starting in the last quarter of 2019.

“This is not enough,” he added. “In order to respond to the emergency economic situations, I want you to exert policy-related imagination that goes beyond expectations with no restrictions.”

He cited the expansion of tax incentives and regulatory reform to promote corporate investment, special financial support for small- and medium-sized firms and measures to relieve tiny shop owners of rent burdens.

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

It looks like the start of a new fast food trend could be happening in South Korea:

Food companies are continuing to target customers by appealing to their pets, with Burger King releasing an upgraded edition of its “Dogpper” dog biscuits from Monday.

The hamburger chain had first given out dog treats as a limited edition last year. The product takes its name from the American fast-food corporation’s signature burger, the Whopper, and is flavored with a similar taste and smell. Last May, Burger King held a promotional campaign in which customers who ordered home delivery for a two-week period received the free dog treats. 

During those two weeks, Burger King’s home delivery orders increased by 20 percent, the company said, prompting them to continue the promotional deal in June. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.

The government is now saying to be ready for more unlinked coronavirus patients:

South Korea’s public health authorities warned Tuesday that the country should prepare for more coronavirus infections not linked to known clusters as its latest confirmed cases are believed to be without links to other existing cases or to China and overseas countries.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the country is entering a “new phase” with some confirmed cases not being linked to existing spreads or clusters, which means that those patients are judged to have contracted the COVID-19 virus without traveling abroad or coming into contact with other infected patients.

The public health agency admitted that it is still unclear how the three latest virus patients — the country’s 29th, 30th, and 31st — contracted the virus as they had not had contact with other confirmed patients or been abroad recently.

“The three patients’ infection routes are uncertain … and there is a chance of additional similar cases being found,” KCDC director Jung Eun-kyeong said in a press conference.

Yonhap

The latest person infected in Daegu had not been to China or had contact with anyone from there and still got infected. Last month she visited a hospital in Seoul and used public transportation which may explain how she was infected. If she became infected this way how many other people are infected that is not known yet?

This shows the power of the taxi unions in South Korea when competitors face being thrown in jail by taking them on:

This week is being cast as the do-or-die moment for Korean mobility services – ride sharing, van hailing and the like. It is also seen as an inflection point for the sharing economy, and more generally for innovation. 

On Monday, the National Assembly will begin discussing revisions to the transportation law that could render Tada all but illegal. It has become known as the “Tada Ban Law.”  

Another decision awaits the van-hailing service, with the Seoul Central District Court scheduled to announce its decision on Tada’s legality on Wednesday. 

Prosecutors are calling for one-year sentences for Lee Jae-woong, the CEO of Socar, and Park Jae-wook, the CEO of Tada operator VCNC, for violating the existing motor vehicle law. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link.