S. Korea shares K-quarantine info with Latin American countries via online seminar

South Korea shared its experience and quarantine process in tackling the novel coronavirus pandemic with Latin American countries through an online seminar Wednesday.

The Special Webinar on COVID-19 for Policy and Technology event, hosted by the International Quarantine Cooperation task force, comes as many countries in Central and South America have reported a large number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths. These countries have expressed interest in South Korea's handling of the virus outbreak and quarantine efforts.

The latest tally showed Brazil has over 374,000 coronavirus patients and 23,000 deaths, and Peru has around 124,000 cases and around 3,600 fatalities. The number of confirmed cases in other large countries like Chile and Mexico is hovering around the 80,000 range, with infected people in Argentina topping 13,000.

In the opening remarks, Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip said South Korea used innovative methods to stem the spread of the virus, including self-diagnostic apps and setting up various screening stations.

"The country has done its utmost to permit the movement of people while taking all precautions to control the viral infection," Kim said.

Seoul's so-called K-quarantine has received recognition for effectively flattening the virus curve compared to other countries since the first case was reported in nearby China in late 2019.

The country implemented swift and extensive testing and detailed contact tracing, combined with stringent quarantine and treatment. The nation has screened 852,000 people since early January, with 11,262 testing positive for the virus and 269 deaths as of Wednesday. (Yonhap)