S. Korea troubled by second-time virus diagnoses; Japan promises swift payouts

SEOUL－South Korea said on Friday that the country is continuing to see a rise in the number of patients who test positive for the coronavirus for a second time after being declared free of the virus. However, the risk of transmissions from such cases so far appears to be low.

Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at least 163 people have tested positive again after their initial release from hospitals, accounting for more than 2 percent of the country's 7,829 recovered patients.

She said the patients on average were 13.5 days removed from their release when they tested positive again, although the longest gap was 35 days.

Jeong says none of the patients were in serious condition although 61 of them were exhibiting mild symptoms. Officials are monitoring about 300 people who contacted the patients but have so far detected no transmissions of the virus.

Health authorities are investigating the causes of such cases, including whether they are linked to virus mutations. But they have so far downplayed the possibility that people could get reinfected after making a full recovery.

They said it is more likely that infections were reactivated after remaining dormant in patients whose bodies hadn't fully developed immunity after experiencing mild symptoms.

Also in East Asia, Japan's Cabinet said on Friday that an official had tested positive for the coronavirus, making him the third such official at the Cabinet office.

The case inside the Cabinet office came as Japan expanded a state of emergency to all regions. The move allows municipalities to urge people to stay inside, but without punitive measures or legal force.

With more than 9,000 infections and nearly 200 deaths nationally, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Thursday the government is considering cash payouts of 100,000 yen ($928) for all in an effort to cushion the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.

Iran shows medical gear

In the Middle East, Iran on Friday paraded disinfection vehicles, mobile hospitals and other medical equipment as it marked its national Army Day in a bid to underscore the military's role in battling the coronavirus in a country that has been hit hard.

The parade, held at a training center before commanders in face masks, was a far cry from the typical Army Day parades, which normally feature marching infantry, missiles, submarines and armored vehicles, with warplanes flying overhead.

Across the region, Iran is the country worst hit by the COVID-19 respiratory disease. The official death toll rose to 4,958 on Friday.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Turkey on Thursday witnessed another daily increase of more than 4,500 new cases, in a trend that suggests it will soon surpass Iran in the region's infections tally.

Turkey's Health Ministry confirmed 4,801 new COVID-19 cases and 125 more deaths, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 74,193 and the death toll to 1,643.

Egypt received on Thursday the first batch of Chinese anti-coronavirus materials, including 20,000 N95 masks, 10,000 protective suits and 10,000 testing kits.

China has also donated medical supplies to Syria and Lebanon.

In Southeast Asia, the Department of Health of the Philippines reported 218 new infections from COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 5,878.