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In photos: South Korea's ruling party wins in landslide amid outbreak

Lee Nak-yon (center R), South Korea's former prime minister and candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, shakes hands with Lee Hae-chan (center L), chairman of the ruling Democratic Party, at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images

South Korean President Moon Jae-in's left-leaning ruling party won the largest majority of seats in 30 years in parliamentary elections on Wednesday, per the New York Times.

The big picture: The country's election marked the first national poll held worldwide since the novel coronavirus was declared a pandemic. Voters casting ballots in-person were required to wear face masks and have their temperatures checked, following record-high early voting participation, AP reports.

  • Over 10,500 people have contracted the virus as of Wednesday, per Johns Hopkins data. Over 7,600 people have recovered and 225 people have died.
South Korean election officials sort voting papers for ballot counting in a Seoul gymnasium. Photo: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images
A woman has her temperature checked upon his arrival to cast her vote in Seoul. Photo: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Defector and former North Korean diplomat Thae Yong Ho secures a majority vote in his Gangnam constituency on behalf of the conservative United Future Party (UFP). Photo: Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images
South Korean citizens cast their votes in a polling station in Seoul. Photo: Jong Hyun Kim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
An official stands in a voting booth for people in self-quarantine. Photo: Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images
Voters wait in line in Seoul. Photo: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Lee Nak-yon (C front), South Korea's former prime minister and candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, and his party members watch televisions showing exit polls in Seoul. Photo: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images
Voters wait in line at a polling station in Uiwang, South Korea. Photo: Simon Shin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Voters wait in line at a polling station in Seoul. Photo: Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images
South Koreans cast their ballots in Seoul. Photo: Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images

Go deeper: Countries grapple with how to hold elections during coronavirus

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1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

House passes $1.9 trillion COVID relief package

Photo: Screenshot via C-SPAN

The House approved President Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief package on a 219-212 vote early Saturday morning, sending it to the Senate for a possible rewrite before it gets to Biden's desk.

The big picture: The vote was a critical first step for the package, which includes $1,400 cash payments for many Americans, a national vaccination program, ramped-up COVID testing and contact tracing, state and local funding and money to help schools reopen.

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8 hours ago - Health

Biden says it's "not the time to relax" after touring vaccination site

President Biden speaking after visiting a FEMA Covid-19 vaccination facility in Houston on Feb. 26. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

President Biden said Friday that "it's not the time to relax" coronavirus mitigation efforts and warned that the number of cases and hospitalizations could rise again as new variants of the virus emerge.

Why it matters: Biden, who made the remarks after touring a vaccination site in Houston, echoed CDC director Rochelle Walensky, who said earlier on Friday that while the U.S. has seen a recent drop in cases and hospitalizations, "these declines follow the highest peak we have experienced in the pandemic."

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

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  2. Vaccine: FDA advisory panel endorses J&J COVID vaccine for emergency use — About 20% of U.S. adults have received first vaccine dose, White House says — New data reignites the debate over coronavirus vaccine strategy.
  3. Economy: What's really going on with the labor market.
  4. Local: All adult Minnesotans will likely be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine by summer — Another wealthy Florida community receives special access to COVID-19 vaccine.
  5. Sports: Poll weighs impact of athlete vaccination.
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