South Korea Live Updates

• South Korea has reported 18 new cases of the coronavirus, its lowest daily jump since February 20, continuing a downward trend as officials discuss more sustainable forms of social distancing that allows for some communal and economic activity.
• Figures released by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday brought national totals to 10,653 cases and 232 virus-related deaths, the Associated Press news agency reported.
• South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s ruling party scored a landslide victory in parliamentary elections held in the throes of the pandemic, signaling to global leaders a strong response to the virus can translate into votes.
• The country on Thursday unveiled a second extra budget worth 7.6 trillion won ($6.2 billion) to pay for emergency cash handouts to people as the virus threatens jobs and wages. It reported 22 new virus cases in 24 hours, for a total of 10,613.
• South Korea’s latest coronavirus update shows the outbreak there continues to slow.
• The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on Thursday there were 39 more cases, bringing the total to 10,423. The number of deaths rose by four to 204.
• Testing, combined with isolation and monitoring, have helped South Korea get control of the virus. The government has also deployed technology to help in the fight including alerts to people’s smartphones to advise them of cases nearby and potential hotspots.
• The South reported seven new deaths, bringing up the death toll to 165 vs. 158 a day earlier.
• As of the same date, 5,567 patients were released from quarantine after making a full recovery from the virus. In total, over 421 thousand people have been tested until now.
• South Korea’s GDP growth shows a 0.3% decline from the 2.3% expected during last year.