South Korea reported on Thursday no new domestic coronavirus cases for the first time since its 29 February peak, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Thursday. KCDC reported four new infections, all imported cases, taking the national tally to 10,765. The death toll rose by one to 247.
The country once had the largest outbreak outside China, where the disease first emerged in December last year, but appears to have brought it under control with an extensive “trace, test and treat” programme.
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Earlier this month, South Korea became one of the first countries in the world to hold a national election since the coronavirus epidemic began, with many others postponing elections.
South Korea has won praise from the World Health Organization for its successful flattening of the curve, with more than a dozen world leaders seeking Seoul’s advice on quarantine measures and requesting test kits. Nearly 60% of survey respondents approved of Moon’s response to the pandemic, which included aggressive testing, monitoring, social distancing and strict quarantine for overseas arrivals.
President Moon’s Democratic party of Korea, who won the elections, received an unexpected boost due to the efficient handling of the pandemic, after a year of political scandals and criticism of his record on jobs and young people’s living standards. His approval ratings reached a 16-month high last week, a poll by researchers at Realmeter showed, while his party’s popularity was 15% higher than the conservative main opposition United Future party.
