MERS: S. KOREA MAY NOT BE DECLARED MERS FREE UNTIL SEPT. AS ONE PATIENT CONTINUES TO TEST POSITIVE

South Korean Prime Minister, Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday declared a 'de facto end' to the outbreak of MERS but to officially call the country MERS- free, they have to wait 28 days after the last patient has died or cleared of the virus.
However, that period has not begun because one patient in hospital isolation continues to test positive for the virus. There have been 186 laboratory confirmed infections, 36 patients have died, 138 have recovered and been discharged and 11 remain hospitalised but have cleared the virus from their systems and are recuperating in general wards.
On July 27, South Korean Health Ministry announced that all the 1,693 MERS contacts traced to the May index patient had been released from quarantine . Only the patients who continues to test positive remains in isolation. Also on July 27th the health ministry announced that it had placed a patient who returned from Middle East with possible MERS symptoms under quarantine as well as the traveller's contacts.
On July 29th another feverish traveller and contacts were put under quarantine. If they test negative, they will be released from quarantine.