New virus cases over 400 again on pileup of cluster infections in S. Korea
The country added 467 more COVID-19 cases, including 433 local infections, raising the total caseload to 79,311, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload rebounded after staying under 400 for the past three days.
Since the third wave of the pandemic peaked at a record high of 1,241 on Dec. 25, new virus infections have been slowing down.
Daily infections recently spiked, however, due mainly to cluster infections from unauthorized education facilities run by a local Christian missionary group, called the International Mission (IM).
Another cluster infection was reported from another correctional facility, the Nambu Correctional Institution in southwestern Seoul, with nine inmates who worked in the kitchen testing positive.
Amid a flare-up in virus cases, health authorities on Sunday extended Level 2.5 social distancing rules, the second highest in a five-tier scheme, in the greater Seoul area and Level 2 measures in other regions for another two weeks until Feb. 14.
Under the extended rules, gatherings of five or more people are also banned almost across the entire country.
Authorities believe relaxing the curbs runs the risk of an uptick as cluster infections have continued to pop up at religious facilities, hospitals and other risk-prone establishments.
While fully mindful of a potential uptick in virus cases tied to clusters and new virus variants, health authorities signaled that the country's virus restrictions may be eased before the Lunar New Year holiday that starts later next week.
Of the newly identified local infections, 184 cases were reported in Seoul and 107 cases in Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, reported 18 more cases.
South Chungcheong Province reported 35 more virus cases and the southern port city of Busan added 18 more cases.
The country added 34 imported cases, increasing the total to 6,403. Fifteen cases came from Europe, followed by eight cases from Asian countries except for China, five from the United States and three from Africa.
The country added six more deaths, raising the total to 1,441. The fatality rate was 1.82 percent.
The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 220, down from 224 a day earlier.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 69,299, up 524 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 5,756,714 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3, 2020. The country reported its first case on Jan. 20 last year.
