Asia Today: 60 new army recruits infected in South Korea
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Aijaz Rahi
Students wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus listen to their teacher during a class at Maharani College for Women in Bengaluru, India, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. India has more than 9 million cases of coronavirus, second behind the United States. The southern state of Karnataka decided Monday not to reopen schools and pre-university colleges though institutes of higher education were opened last week.
A teacher wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus interacts with students at Maharani College for Women in Bengaluru, India, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. India has more than 9 million cases of coronavirus, second behind the United States. The southern state of Karnataka decided Monday not to reopen schools and pre-university colleges though institutes of higher education were opened last week.
Students wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus listen to their teacher during a class at Maharani College for Women in Bengaluru, India, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. India has more than 9 million cases of coronavirus, second behind the United States. The southern state of Karnataka decided Monday not to reopen schools and pre-university colleges though institutes of higher education were opened last week.
People wait to give their nasal swab sample at a COVID-19 testing center in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. India has more than 9 million cases of coronavirus, second behind the United States.
Empty outfield seats are seen during Game 6 of the Korean Series, the Korea Baseball Organization's championship round, between Doosan Bears and NC Dinos at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. Authorities in the South Korean capital on Monday announced a tightening of social distancing regulations, including shutting nightclubs, limiting service hours at restaurants and reducing public transportation.
Commuters wearing face masks in a train to protect against coronavirus are reflected on a window in the evening as the train passes through some businesses Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in Tokyo.
People wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus walk under a banner emphasizing an enhanced social distancing campaign in front of Seoul City Hall in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. The banner reads: "We have to stop before COVID-19 stops everything."
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike speaks during a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, in Tokyo. The board reads "infection control measures, Short and intensive."
A man wearing a protective mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walks along a back ally bar street Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, in Tokyo. The Japanese capital confirmed more than 400 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday.
A man wearing a protective mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus walks in front of a popular bar street Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, in Tokyo. The Japanese capital confirmed more than 400 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday.
A man wearing a protective mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus waits at a pedestrian crosswalk Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, in Tokyo. The Japanese capital confirmed more than 400 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday.
A cyclist wearing a face mask rides past a coronavirus-themed mural in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Writings on the mural read "Stay at Home."
A worker from Top Glove walks outside Top Glove factory in Shah Alam, Malaysia, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Malaysia's Top Glove Corp., the world's largest maker of rubber gloves, says it expects a two to four-week delay in deliveries after more than 2,000 workers at its factories were infected by the coronavirus, raising the possibility of supply disruptions during the pandemic.
A man wearing a protective mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus runs across a pedestrian crossing Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, in Tokyo. The Japanese capital confirmed more than 400 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea says 60 new army recruits at a boot camp have tested positive for the coronavirus in the military’s largest outbreak.
The Defense Ministry said Wednesday they were undergoing basic training at an army unit in Yeoncheon, a town near the tense border with North Korea, at the start of their 18 months of mandatory military service.
It said one of the recruits was found to have contracted the virus on Wednesday morning and 59 others tested positive later in the day. It said more tests are under way to determine whether 860 other recruits and troops at the Yeoncheon unit were also infected.
Earlier Wednesday, the ministry said 267 people in the military have been confirmed to have contracted the virus since the country reported its first case in January. All able-bodied men in South Korea must serve in the military under a conscription system to cope with potential aggression from North Korea.
South Korea on Tuesday tightened social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area and other parts of the country to try to contain a recent spike in infections. Health authorities on Tuesday recorded 382 new cases, taking the country’s total to 31,735, including 513 deaths.
In other developments in Asia and the Pacific:
— Tokyo’s governor on Wednesday asked bars and other places where alcohol is served to close earlier for three weeks to help prevent a resurgence of coronavirus infections from turning explosive. Gov. Yuriko Koike said bars, karaoke outlets and restaurants serving alcohol in the city are being requested to close by 10 p.m. beginning Saturday until Dec. 17. “In order to prevent a further spread of infections and protect the lives of the residents of Tokyo, we are taking brief and intensive measures,” Koike said, asking for the business owners’ cooperation. Tokyo will provide 400,000 yen ($3,800) in compensation to those who fully cooperate with the effort, she said. The measures are Tokyo’s first since it made a similar request at the end of August to eateries, karaoke bars and other drinking places in central and downtown Tokyo during an earlier wave of infections.
— India has registered 44,376 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours. The latest increase has taken the total number of cases to 9.22 million, the Health Ministry said Wednesday. Deaths rose by 481, driving the total fatalities to 134,699. India’s confirmed daily toll has remained below 50,000 for a few weeks, after peaking in September. But several cities have witnessed a surge in cases, prompting some state governments to clamp additional restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. In Mumbai in southern India, travelers from New Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat will have to undergo mandatory coronavirus tests before entering the city. The three northern states are witnessing the latest surge in infections. The situation remains grim in New Delhi, which is recording the highest number of cases in the country. The capital is reporting nearly 100 deaths on average every day for the last two weeks.
— China says a fast-track arrangement for business-related travel with Japan will be launched on Nov. 30. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday that the two governments agreed to facilitate business and other necessary exchanges. Details of the plan have not been publicly released. The two governments have been discussing a program that would allow travelers to engage in limited business activities during the 14-day quarantine period after arrival. Zhao said the program would support the resumption of work and production. Both countries are eager to rejuvenate their economic growth after virus-related slowdowns. China and Japan have also said that a fast-track system for students, interns and workers with long-term residence permits will start by the end of the month.
