COVID-19 cases under 400 for 2nd day; virus curve sliding downhill

A health worker from a COVID-19 early testing center in front of Seoul Station in Jung District on Tuesday thaws under a heater bottles of disinfectants that froze due to sub-zero temperatures that have persisted nationwide in the past days. Yonhap

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed under 400 for the second straight day Tuesday as infections sharply slowed down on tightened social distancing measures, but health authorities still remain vigilant over potential upticks amid partially eased curbs.

The country added 386 more COVID-19 cases, including 351 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 73,115, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The third wave of COVID-19 here reached its peak on Dec. 25 at 1,240 but has been showing signs of a slowdown since.

The daily figure stayed in the 500s over the past week before it dropped to a nearly two-month low of 389 on Monday.

The country extended its tougher social distancing measures for two more weeks, while easing some restrictions on cafes, gyms and other indoor facilities that have suffered revenue losses.

Under the new measures, the capital area is be under Level 2.5, the second highest in a five-tier system, and the rest of the nation remains under Level 2.

Cleaners work on the National Museum of Korea's museum shop in Seoul's Yongsan District on Tuesday when the museum resumed its exhibition to the public after having been closed due to COVID-19 spread risks. The South Korean ministry of culture, sports and tourism said they resumed operating state cultural and art facilities in the city starting Tuesday. Yonhap

The ban on private gatherings of five or more people, and the restriction on business operations after 9 p.m., has also been extended.

However, indoor gyms, cram schools and karaoke establishments are allowed to reopen on the condition that they strictly adhere to antivirus measures, including a maximum capacity of one person per 8 square meters and a closing time of 9 p.m.

Of the locally transmitted cases, the capital city of Seoul accounted for 95 cases, and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province took up 128. Incheon, west of Seoul, had 18 new cases. The greater Seoul area accounts for around half of the nation's 51 million population.

There were 35 cases from overseas, up 12 from a day ago, raising the total number of imported cases to 5,980.

The country added 19 fatalities, up four from a day ago, upping the virus death toll total to 1,283. The fatality rate was 1.75 percent.

The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 335, down eight from a day earlier.

The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries was 59,468, up 745 from a day earlier, with 12,364 people being isolated for COVID-19 treatment, down 378 from a day ago. (Yonhap)

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