New infections under 1,000 for 2nd day amid extended virus curbs
South Korean minister of the interior and safety Jeon Hae-cheol, second from right, visited a temporary COVID-19 testing center in front of Seoul Station on Monday. Yonhap
South Korea's daily caseload of new coronavirus infections stayed below 1,000 for the second straight day on Monday due mainly to less testing over the weekend amid tougher virus curbs that have been extended for another week.
The country added 808 more COVID-19 cases, including 787 local infections, raising the total caseload to 57,680, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The daily infections fell from 970 cases on Sunday. In the past week, the nation's daily virus cases hovered around 1,000.
Eleven people died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 819, with the fatality rate at 1.42 percent.
On Sunday, the KDCA extended the current Level 2.5 distancing measures in the capital area and the Level 2 restrictions in the rest of the country until Jan. 3 on concerns over the impact on the economy.
Health authorities will decide whether to move on to Level 3, the highest in its five-tier scheme, on Jan. 3.
Instead of applying measures that would deal a heavy blow to millions of small merchants, health authorities have deployed "targeted" virus curbs.
Since last Wednesday, the greater Seoul area has banned gatherings of five or more people. Restaurants in the greater Seoul area face a fine if they allow gatherings of more than four people. The strongest-ever measures have been applied nationwide since last Thursday as well.
Ski resorts and famous tourism venues were shut down to slow the spread of the virus during the Christmas and New Year's holiday season. (Yonhap)