Why South Korea abandoned its globally praised strategy to deal with coronavirus

South Korea announced Wednesday that it is dropping its “trace, test and treat” health policy at a time when the omicron variant of coronavirus it spreads and is putting the health system on a tightrope.

When the pandemic was declared, in early 2020, South Korea It registered one of the worst health situations in the world, which it managed to control thanks to massive tests and active tracing of patients and their contacts.

LOOK: South Korea exceeds one million coronavirus infections after new daily record

This strategy earned the country international praise, but Seoul decided to put an end to this strategy after having exceeded one million cases during the past weekenddue to the fast transmission of the omicron variant.

The current health policy “is difficult to maintain due to limited means” and the “high social and economic costs” it generates, said Sohn Young-rae, head of health services.

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South Korea registered 49,567 new cases on Tuesday.

Health workers wearing protective gear guide people waiting in line to get tested for coronavirus in Seoul, South Korea, on January 26, 2022. (Jung Yeon-je/AFP)

The new measures to be applied will focus on protecting the most vulnerable people, according to the authorities.

The objective will be to diagnose and treat high-risk groups to “avoid the collapse of health structures and the deterioration of social and economic activities,” according to Sohn.

85% of the 52 million inhabitants of South Korea have received two doses of the vaccine against covid-19according to health authorities.

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Source: Elcomercio