Infections decline, but concerns persist over clusters
Health officials conduct a coronavirus test on a student at Yangji Elementary School in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, after a student there tested positive for the virus. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
The number of daily new COVID-19 cases in Korea has been declining for four consecutive days, but health authorities remain on high alert for sporadic group infections.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said Sunday it had detected 27 new cases, and there had been one more death, Saturday, which brought the country's total to 11,468, and the death toll to 270.
It marks the first time in five days that the country recorded fewer than 30 cases, with the number falling from 79 to 58 to 39 to 27 for the past four days.
The authorities have almost completed coronavirus tests on cases related to the latest infection cluster traced to a logistics center operated by e-commerce platform giant Coupang in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.
According to the KCDC, 111 virus patients were traced to the Coupang warehouse as of 12 p.m., Sunday, up from 108 reported at 11 a.m., Saturday.
Among the 111 cases, 75 were employees of the logistics center, while 36 others had been in contact with them.
The health authorities are staying vigilant over concerns that sporadic group infections could continue in Seoul and nearby areas, because patients linked to the logistic center mostly live in the nation's capital, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province.
“The number of daily new cases has been showing a reduction trend, but there are still many cases whose infection routes have yet to be identified,” Kwon Joon-wook, head of the National Institute of Health under the KCDC, told a media briefing. “In addition, the recent infection cluster at the Bucheon logistics center has raised concerns over further community spread, especially in the capital area.”
According to officials at Anyang and Gunpo in Gyeonggi Province, five people in Anyang and four in Gunpo tested positive for the virus, Sunday. The nine patients were pastors and churchgoers and their family members who went to Jeju Island together from May 25 to 27.
The patients include an elementary school student. According to city officials, the student attended school on Thursday, raising concerns over mass infection at the school.
Authorities are also keeping a watch on new cases coming from the Korea Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) and an announcer academy in Seoul.
In a bid to stop the further spread of COVID-19, the government has announced enhanced preventive measures against the virus, which apply to the capital region.
The measures include the temporary suspension of operations at public establishments such as museums and art galleries.
The government also asked bars and other facilities with a high risk of infection to refrain from operating.