South Korea feels the strain of a severe outbreak
Officials are scrambling to secure more I.C.U. beds after an explosion of coronavirus infections. The country has aimed to provide patients with hospital beds within a day of getting a diagnosis. But as of Monday, only 42 beds were available nationwide, the government said, and several provinces had none.
A quiet fear has taken hold in South Korea, which for much of the year was held up as a model for the rest of the world. The government is weighing whether to impose a set of restrictions just short of lockdown for the first time if cases cannot be brought under control. Seoul banned gatherings larger than five people.
“Unlike in the past, this time the virus seems to pop up everywhere and no place is safe,” said Myeong Hae-kyung, a chief nurse in Daegu.
Context: High-risk places like gyms and bars are still closed, but restaurants, movie theaters and other businesses are open. The government has been wary of the economic effects of more restrictions, and has opted instead for ramping up testing and isolation.
Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.
In other developments:

■ Taiwan on Tuesday reported its first case of local coronavirus transmission in eight months, creating some anxiety on the island, which has so far avoided lockdowns and had only a handful of Covid-19 deaths.

■ France will fast-track citizenship for some 700 foreign frontline workers exposed to the virus, including health care workers, child care professionals, housekeepers and cashiers.
The New York Times
Me: “France will fast-track citizenship for some 700 foreign frontline workers” Just like getting French Citizenship by joining the French Foreign Legion, without having to do so, sort of thing?