Omicron forces S. Korea to end GPS monitoring, some checkups

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea will no longer use GPS monitoring to enforce quarantines and will also end daily checkup calls to low-risk coronavirus patients as a fast-developing omicron surge overwhelms health and government workers. The country’s top infectious disease expert said the speed of transmissions driven by the omicron variant has made it impossible for South Korea to maintain a tight and proactive medical response. The country reported 38,691 new cases, Monday — a nine-fold increase from mid-January. South Korea had been a success story earlier in the pandemic by increasing its testing capacity and using technology for contact-tracing. But the surge of omicron infections has stretched those resources and rendered the country’s strengths irrelevant.