Coronavirus outbreak: South Korea locks down Seoul

A protester sets up bags representing dead bodies during a funeral procession demonstration by the New Florida Majority against the reopening of Florida, in Miami. Pic /AFP

South Korea on Thursday re-imposed a series of Coronavirus physical distancing measures it had eased early this month, as a series of clusters threatened to challenge its success in containing the novel Corornavirus pandemic. The new cases - mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area where half of South Korea's 51 million people live - prompted officials to strengthen physical distancing rules that were eased on May 6. At least 69 infections so far have been linked to workers at a massive warehouse operated by local e-commerce giant Coupang.

Museums, parks and art galleries will all be closed again from Friday for two weeks, said Health Minister Park Neung-hoo, while firms were urged to re-introduce flexible working. "We have decided to strengthen all quarantine measures in the metropolitan area for two weeks from tomorrow to June 14," he said.

"The next two weeks are crucial to prevent the spread of the infection in the metropolitan area. We will have to return to social distancing if we fail." He said the government will be forced to re-impose an all-out social distancing campaign if the country sees more than 50 new cases for at least seven consecutive days.

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