(VOVworld) – There have been no new infections from the MERS virus in South Korea within the past 30 days and no new fatalities in the last 24 days, according to a statement released by South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday.

Women wearing masks walk at Myeongdong shopping district in central Seoul, South Korea, July 9, 2015 (Photo: Reuters)

The statement indicates that the numbers of infections and deaths due to the virus stand at 186 and 36 respectively. South Korea announced last week that the MERS epidemic had ended in theory, but it normally takes 28 days without any new infections for an official announcement.
South Korea’s Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn visited the shopping district of Myeongdong in Seoul to encourage people working in South Korea’s tourism sector to try to overcome difficulties arising from the spread of MERS.