“I didn’t expect the situation in South Korea to become so serious,” Shin Kwangjae, an international student at Shanghai University of Sport, from Busan, told the Global Times.
People in South Korea are now leading indoor lives as the number of confirmed cases with COVID-19 in the nation have spiked to 2337. Wearing masks, constant disinfection and online shopping have become the new norm in attempts to contain the viral spread.
“Busan is very close to Daegu, people are very worried now,” Shin said. “We used to go supermarkets to do shopping but now we are turning to online shopping due to safety concerns.”
The community that he lives in has not enforced any compulsory measures yet. But cinemas and markets that confirmed patients visited previously have been closed down.
“Food supplies are still stable,” he said, noting that difficulty getting masks is a major priority.
The domestic demand for face masks in South Korea have drastically increased as confirmed COVID-19 cases soar in major centers the government then enacted strict measures to ensure domestic supply.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced to limit mask exports to a maximum of 10 percent of total output, Yonhap News agency reported on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the government also distributes 50 percent of the country’s daily production to state-run retail platforms, including the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation and the Small & Medium Business Distribution Center.
Jung Jaeuka, an international student at East China Normal University who now lives in Seosan of South Korea confirmed with the Global Times that people can buy disposable KF94 masks at designated places like post offices, convenience stores and supermarkets.
“Each person is only allowed to buy five,” Jung said, noting that such masks only cost 5 yuan ($0.71) each before the epidemic but now it costs 15 yuan.
Jessie, a Chinese student in South Korea, confirmed to the Global Times that people can buy cheap masks through online shopping platforms, but they soon get sold out.
To contain the viral spread, the country has postponed the new school year. All kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools across the country will start on March 9, a week later than scheduled.
Baek Seohui, another international student at East China Normal University, predicts that school dates will be further postponed.
“Universities have also postponed the new semester and are preparing online classes,” Baek told the Global Times.
The delivery industry in the country has become busy, as people are avoiding going out and turning to online shopping, according to Jung.
To avoid cross infection, the delivery companies are adopting a no-contact delivery method as their Chinese counterparts do. “The deliveryman puts the package outside the door and texts us to pick it up,” Jung said.
Currently, strict control measures have not started yet in the city that Jung lives in, but public facilities like libraries and training centers are closed to prevent coronavirus infections. “There are almost no people in public places like shopping malls or entertainment parks,” Jung said.
Meanwhile, it is reported that Shanghai donated 500,000 masks to Daegu and Gyeongsangbu-do of South Korea to help fight COVID-19, of which 100,000 were medical and 400,000 were KN95 masks.
