New virus cases fall; capital area still plagued by infection clusters
An employee wearing a face mask to help protect against the spread of the new coronavirus cleans the widows of his shoe store at a shopping street in Seoul, Friday, June 12, 2020. AP
South Korea's new virus cases slowed sharply Sunday, but cluster infections in the greater Seoul area continued raising concerns over further community spread.
The country added 34 new cases, including 31 local infections, raising the total caseload to 12,085, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The tally marked a fall from 49 additional cases reported on Saturday and 56 a day earlier. All but two of the locally transmitted cases were reported in Seoul and nearby metropolitan areas.
While new virus cases have been plateauing in other areas, Seoul and surrounding areas have seen a continued rise in cluster infections tied to a door-to-door retailer, religious gatherings, sports facilities and a distribution center.
South Korea has been dogged by multiple, sporadic cluster infections in the densely populated Seoul area since it relaxed its social distancing scheme in early May.
The country had imposed two weeks of tougher infection preventive measures in the greater Seoul area in late May until June 14. It decided last week to indefinitely extend the deadline as nearly all locally transmitted cases have been reported in the densely populated area.
Cases traced to a warehouse run by e-commerce leader Coupang in Bucheon, just west of Seoul, reached 147 as of noon Saturday. Those linked to small churches in the metropolitan area came to 100.
COVID-19 cases tied to a door-to-door business establishment reached 153. Those traced to a table tennis gym in southwestern Seoul came in at 62.
Virus cases traced to a day care center for seniors in western Seoul reached 16.
A string of cluster infections in Seoul and nearby areas came as South Korea completed its phased reopening of schools last Monday, the main feature of the eased social distancing.
After nearly six weeks of strict social distancing, the country switched to its distancing in everyday life on May 6 to enable citizens to carry out economic and social activities under quarantine rules.
Health authorities warned the country may have to roll back to strict social distancing if virus cases do not subside.
The country, meanwhile, added three imported cases and reported no additional deaths, bringing the total death toll to 277. The fatality rate was 2.29 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,718, up 27 from the previous day.
The country has carried out 1,100,328 tests since Jan. 3. (Yonhap)