South Korea has declared a “de facto end” to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, known as MERS.
The coronavirus has so far killed 36 people out of 186 confirmed cases in the country. South Korea’s last confirmed infection was on July 4.
#INFOGRAPHIC: South Korea declares end to MERS outbreak http://t.co/daOCRoPblp pic.twitter.com/qnP49T6Rk3— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) July 28, 2015
It is the only outbreak outside the Middle East and has had disastrous consequences for the economy. The tourist industry saw a 40 percent drop in foreign visitors.
Screening at airports will continue for the time being, according to a health official.
Addressing the press, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn apologised for the government’s response to the crisis. Many criticised its perceived slow reaction and the lack of adequate preparation.
However, he sought to reassure the public:
“There have been no additional MERS cases for the past 23 days and the last suspected patient was r
