South Korea extra effort to test early & wear masks along w/track & control of potential infected contacts proved effective in limiting the number of cases & resulting deaths.

South Korea Measures:
Lesson 1: Intervene Fast, Before It’s a Crisis
* treat it as a national emergency
* produces 100,000 test kits per day

Lesson 2: Test Early, Often and Safely
* opened 600 testing centers
* use thermal image cameras to identify people with fevers

Lesson 3: Contact Tracing, Isolation & Surveillance
* retrace patients’ movements using security camera footage, credit card records, GPS data from cars/cellphones
* cellphones vibrate with emergency alerts about new cases in their area
* Websites/smartphone apps detail timelines of infected people’s travel – buses took, when/where they got on/off, whether they were wearing masks
* People who crossed paths with a patient are urged to report to testing centers
* People ordered into self-quarantine, downloaded app alerts officials of violations (fines up to $2,500)

Lesson 4: Enlist The Public’s Help
* endless reminders to wear face masks, social distancing
* country’s nationalized health care system, covers coronavirus-related costs, giving people with no symptoms greater incentive to get tested.