As you’ve seen, South Korea has reported zero local infections for the first time in 75 days (though there were four imported cases).
Here’s a look back at how South Korea went from being a hotspot to a success story:
20 January – the first confirmed case of Covid-19 is reported, a Chinese woman
4 February – South Korea begins denying entry to foreigners travelling from Hubei province in China – the epicentre of the outbreak
18 February – South Korea confirms its 31st case – a member of the Shincheonji religious organisation who continued to go to large church gatherings. As the country tests large numbers of church members, there are big spikes in case numbers
24 February – 15 countries impose travel restrictions to and from South Korea
29 February – the daily total peaks at 909 people infected
2 March – by this date more than 4,200 cases are confirmed with about 60% of them stemming from the church
March – despite having one of the highest number of cases globally, the country is lauded for its aggressive approach to testing and contact tracing
15 April – amid the pandemic, South Korea holds an election like no other
22 April – as cases stabilise to single-digit daily infections, the government says it will start to lift restrictions
30 April – South Korea reports no new local infections for the first time since 15 February
Total cases are now at 10,765, and while some restrictions will be eased -officials are warning of a possible second wave.
