New virus cases drop to 23, local infections at 3-month low

Visitors hold their smartphones while maintaining social distancing during a re-enactment ceremony of the changing of the Royal Guard at the Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, Friday, July 31, 2020. AP

South Korea reported 23 more cases of the new coronavirus Monday, with local infections at a nearly three-month low, health authorities said.

The new cases, including 20 imported cases, raised South Korea's total cases of COVID-19 to 14,389, with local infections at three, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

The number of new COVID-19 cases had been in the 30s since Friday when South Korea reported 36 new virus cases. The number fell to 31 on Saturday and 30 on Sunday.

The number of domestically transmitted cases marks the lowest since May 8 when the country reported just one local infection.

Of the local infections, Seoul accounted for the largest share with two, raising total local cases in the capital city to 1,269.

Of the imported cases, 14 were South Koreans and six foreigners, with 14 of them testing positive for the virus in the screening process at either an airport or a seaport, while the six others were confirmed to have the virus while under self-quarantine, according to the public health agency.

The accumulated number of imported cases reached 2,461 in South Korea.

Health authorities are staying vigilant over another wave of virus outbreaks in the summer amid sustained rises in local infections and cases coming in from overseas.

The country reported no additional deaths, with the death toll remaining at 301, according to the KCDC.

The KCDC said South Korea's fatality rate of people infected with the virus was 2.09 percent.

The number of patients fully cured of the virus reached 13,290, up 21 from the previous day.

South Korea has carried out 1,579,757 tests since Jan. 3. (Yonhap)

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