South Korean Prime Minister Declares MERS Outbreak Over

by Dana Marie / Jul 28, 2015 12:06 AM EDT

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn has declared the 'actual' (but not official) end of MERS in South Korea. While discussing the matter with government officials, he said "the people can now be free from worry".

Last week, the Foreign Ministry held a meeting to talk about the outbreak being over and the strategies to help "normalize people-to-people exchange", as Deputy Minister for Overseas Koreans Lee Key-cheol puts it.

Now, it looks like the nation's citizens and visitors won't have to worry about contracting the virus. The government and medical personnel has carefully assessed the situation and judged that there isn't a chance of an additional case to the remaining 186. In fact, everyone in self-isolation and compulsory quarantine has been released. The Health Ministry has stated that the last suspected patient hasn't exhibited symptoms of the disease since the 2-week incubation period. So far, there have been 16,693 individuals released from confinement in government-designated hospitals.

The total cases of contagion haven't increased since July 6, and the death toll has remained at 36 since July 12. Currently, 12 infected individuals are under treatment. Out of these patients (who have tested negative), one has undergone a series of tests with results coming out as positive and negative. This has kept authorities from ending the crisis officially, considering the World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested that people are only safe from MERS infection four weeks after the last patient's complete recovery. This means the official declaration that the outbreak has ended will be in late August.

Then again, the lack of formal announcement hasn't stopped people from finally leaving their homes to visit public places. After knowing that there have been no additional cases for the past weeks, outdoor activities have resumed. Vacation spots are once again teeming with locals and tourists. Cinemas and shopping centers are also crowded, now that the fear of contracting MERS has somehow eased.