Korea vows stable domestic supply of medicine as virus surges in China

Social Affairs

Published: 28 Dec. 2022, 11:11 Updated: 28 Dec. 2022, 11:14

Korea vows stable domestic supply of medicine as virus surges in China

A Covid-19 patient is sent to a hospital in Beijing on Dec. 21. [AFP/YONHAP]

Korea will make sure its domestic supply of cold medicine and overall infection prevention measures do not get disturbed as the number of Covid-19 patients in China surges rapidly.

“The number of Covid-19 patients in China is surging as the country relaxed some of its strict Covid-19 restrictions such as temporary lockdowns,” said a spokesperson from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) during a meeting on Wednesday morning.

“We will carefully monitor the situation and make sure there will not be any issues regarding the supply of cold medicine and infection prevention.”

More specific details and plans related to the issue will be announced on Friday, according to the KDCA.

Last week, Bloomberg reported that nearly 18 percent of the population in China was infected in the first 20 days of December, according to minutes from an internal meeting of China’s National Health Commission.

The Korean government has already responded to the surge of Covid-19 infections in China by strengthening restrictions for arrivals at the Incheon International Airport.

Arrivals from China are required to go through tests with their accompanies if they have symptoms. The minimum temperature to be considered a symptom of Covid-19 has also been strengthened from 37.5 to 37.3 degrees Celsius.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]