New virus cases below 400 for second day

A notice on precautions against the coronavirus is displayed at a subway station in Seoul, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. AP

The number of new daily COVID-19 infections in South Korea fell below 400, Saturday, for the second straight day, but noted sporadic infection clusters in the greater Seoul area are still putting the country's fight against the coronavirus at risk.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 323 new cases, including 308 local infections, raising the overall caseload to 19,400.

Saturday's total marks a drop from the previous day when new cases came to 371; however, the number of daily infections has stayed in triple digits for more than two weeks.

Since Aug. 14, a combined 4,630 cases have been reported, mostly tied to a conservative church in northern Seoul, and an Aug. 15 Liberation Day rally in central Seoul.

Of the 308 local cases, 244 were identified in the capital area, home to half of the country's 51 million population. Seoul added 124, while the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and western port city of Incheon reported 100 and 20, respectively, the KCDC said.

Other major cities reported additional infections, with the southwestern city of Gwangju adding 14 and the southeastern port city of Busan confirming five.

As of Friday, Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul ― a hotbed for the recent spike in new infections ― reported 978 COVID-19 cases. The church-linked outbreak has led to infections in at least 25 other locations, with 66 cases reported in nine different provinces and municipalities outside the greater Seoul area.

At least 294 patients have been reported from the Aug. 15 demonstration in central Seoul, with 116 cases identified in 10 different provinces and municipalities, as of Friday.

The number of cases traced to a door-to-door business establishment in Seoul jumped to 66, with 49 of them detected in South Jeolla Province as of Friday. In the southeastern city of Gwangju, a table tennis club reported 14 COVID-19 infections.

To stem the spread, the health authorities first applied the second highest out of a three-tier social distancing system in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province for two weeks starting Aug. 16. The western port city of Incheon was put under the measures three days later before the government expanded the restrictions nationwide last Sunday.

As the virus situation has shown no signs of letting up, the government announced Friday it would extend the Level 2 distancing for one more week, with tighter antivirus measures to take place from Sunday to Sept. 6 in the greater Seoul area.

The administration said that it will begin to restrict operations of restaurants, bakeries and franchise coffee chains in the capital area.

Starting Sunday, restaurants and bakeries can operate only until 9 p.m. After that only takeaway and delivery will be permitted from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. The move is set to last until Sept. 6.

In the case of franchise coffee chains, only takeout or deliveries will be permitted regardless of operating hours, a measure apparently taking into account reported infection clusters tied to coffee shops.

The KCDC said it is looking into options of moving to the toughest Level 3 distancing but is cautious about this as it could heavily undermine people's social and economic activities.

If the current restrictions are elevated to the highest level, gatherings of more than 10 people will be banned. Not only high-risk facilities, such as clubs, but also mid-risk facilities, including movie theaters, wedding halls and cafes, would be ordered to suspend operations.

The number of newly identified imported cases stood at 15, with five of them detected at quarantine checkpoints at airports and harbors. The country's total number of imported cases is now at 2,797.

The KCDC reported five more deaths from the coronavirus, raising the death toll to 321.

Meanwhile the number of people released from isolation after making a full recovery stood at 14,765, up 214 from the previous day. (Yonhap)