The country was declared Middle East Respiratory (MERS) Virus free on July 28. According to TASS, the Korean Tourist Organization said that the number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea is almost the level before the outbreak.
The first case was reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Since then the virus has reportedly spread to several countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and others. A total of 23 countries have reported over 1,100 cases of infected patients in which 40 percent was considered lethal. Currently, South Korea follows Saudi Arabia recording over 1,000 cases by the healthcare authorities since 2012.
This virus is transmitted through direct contact and about 3 or 4 out in 10 MERS patients die. Patients diagnosed with this virus have severe acute respiratory illness, coughing, and breathing problems.
The South Korean tourism sector said that the country's tourism has recovered from the damage following the outbreak of the disease. They expect that the number of tourists visiting the country will at least be the same level as it was last October. They added that in September the country hosted 9.6 million tourists only, which is 3.1 % lower from last year. The outbreak of the disease last June and July made tourists feel apprehensive about visiting the country.
Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said that after carefully checking different factors, the medical authorities finally concluded that the virus is no longer a threat to people living or visiting South Korea. More than 16,700 people were quarantined in the country during the outbreak of the coronavirus. No new cases were reported to any medical authority over the last 23 days, the prime minister added. The virus was initially brought by a Korean national coming back home from a Middle East trip. This virus has killed 36 people and infected 186 more. This data was collected and complied from May 20 when the first MERS case was registered.
