South Korea sees end of MERS threat after outbreak killed 36

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said Tuesday it is now virtually free of the deadly MERS virus that killed 36 people and sickened nearly 200 since an outbreak was declared in May.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn in a government meeting urged people to return to normal as the country hasn't had a new MERS case in more than three weeks. More than 16,000 people were isolated at hospitals and homes as the government tried to stop the disease's spread, and the last person was lifted from quarantine on Monday.

"It is the judgment of medical experts and the government that people can now feel safe," Hwang said in the meeting, according to the prime minister's office.