SEOUL (SOUTH KOREA) – Thousands of trainee doctors in South Korea returned to work on Tuesday putting an end to a more than two-week strike. The country struggled with three-digit rises, which has been continuing as new daily coronavirus infections.
The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) recorded 136 new cases as of midnight Monday. The total infections rose 21,432, with 341 deaths.
The daily tally has steadily come down after the government imposed strong social distancing rules..
The trainee doctors went back to work despite having many medical students protesting against final licensing exams.
Authorities are considering if the social distancing curbs ahead of Chuseok have to be extended.
President Moon Jae-in said the daily numbers are likely to come down below 100, though health officials have urged against visits and gatherings.
KCDC deputy director Kwon Jun-wook told a briefing, “If you don’t keep distance without wearing a mask properly for a long time, the risk of infection goes quite higher even though you’re outside.”