Spike in China and South Korea Covid-19 figures

CHINA and South Korea reported new spikes in coronavirus cases, setting off fresh concerns in countries where outbreaks had been in dramatic decline, and new protests against pandemic restrictions erupted in Germany despite the easing of many lockdowns in Europe.

In the United States, former President Barack Obama harshly criticised his successor Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as an “absolute chaotic disaster”.

The United States has seen 1.3 million infections and nearly 80,000 deaths in the pandemic, the most in the world by far, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Worldwide, health officials are anxiously watching to see just how much infection rates rise in a second wave as nations and states emerge from varying degrees of lockdown.

China reported 14 new cases yesterday, its first double-digit rise in 10 days, saying 12 of them were domestic infections and two from abroad.

Eleven of 12 domestic infections were in the northeastern province of Jilin, which prompted authorities to raise the threat level in one of its counties, Shulan, to high risk, just days after downgrading all regions to low risk.

Authorities said the Shulan outbreak originated with a 45-yearold woman who had no recent travel or exposure history but spread it to her husband, her three sisters and other family members.

Train services in the county were being suspended.

“Epidemic control and prevention is a serious and complicated matter, and local authorities should never be overly optimistic, war-weary or off-guard,” said the Jilin Communist Party secretary, Bayin Chaolu.

Jilin also shares a border with North Korea, which insists it has no virus cases, much to the disbelief of international health authorities.

No new virus deaths have been reported in China for almost a month and the number of people in treatment for Covid-19 nationwide fell to 148, with another 798 under isolation. The jump in new cases could fuel concerns over how quickly to lift strict social distancing measures and reopen schools and other public institutions.

South Korea reported 34 more cases as new infections linked to nightclub-goers threaten the country’s hard-won gains against the virus.

Officials on Friday said they detected at least 15 infections linked to a 29-year-old man who had visited three Itaewon clubs before testing positive on Wednesday.

It was the first time South Korea’s daily infections were above 30 in about a month. South Korea’s caseload had been waning for weeks, prompting authorities to relax their social distancing rules.

President Moon Jae-in said citizens must neither panic nor let down their guard, but warned that “the damage to our economy is indeed colossal as well”.

“The infection cluster which recently occurred in entertainment facilities has raised awareness that, even during the stabilisation phase, similar situations can arise again anytime, anywhere in an enclosed, crowded space,” President Moon Jae-in said.

He added: “We must never lower our guard regarding epidemic prevention.”

But he also said “there’s no reason to stand still out of fear”.

Mr Moon said South Korea has “the right quarantine and medical systems combined with experience to respond quickly to any unexpected infection clusters that might occur”.

Figures released yesterday by the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention increased national totals to 10,874 with 256 deaths.

The agency said 9,610 people have recovered and 10,128 others were undergoing tests to determine whether they have contracted the virus.