- 22 cases coming from overseas at quarantine checkpoints
- At least 37 people from the church tested positive for the virus
South Korea reported 86 new cases of the novel coronavirus Friday, slightly down from 89 new cases a day earlier, bringing the nation’s total infections to 10,062.
The 86 new cases of COVID-19, detected Thursday, marked the 22nd consecutive day that new infections hovered around 100 or fewer additional cases, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
The country’s death toll rose by five to 174, with more than half of fatalities being patients aged 80 or older, the KCDC said.
A total of 42 additional cases were reported in Seoul and the surrounding region that includes Gyeonggi Province and the western port city of Incheon, bringing the total to 1,119 in the regions, it said.
The number of daily new cases in the metropolitan area has continued to increase mainly due to mass cluster infection cases at major general hospitals and churches and imported cases.
Seoul reported 18 new cases, bringing the total to 506, partly due to a cluster infection at a church in the Guro district that has emerged as a new hotspot of cluster infections in the capital city. At least 37 people from the church tested positive for the virus.
Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, the nation’s two worst-affected regions, reported nine and five new cases, respectively, the KCDC said. The total number of cases reported in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reached 6,734 and 1,309, respectively.
The country also detected 22 cases coming from overseas at quarantine checkpoints, raising the country’s total number of imported cases to 647.
To stem new coronavirus cases coming from abroad, South Korea has required all arrivals to self-quarantine for two weeks since Wednesday.
Visitors without local addresses are to stay in government-designated facilities at their own expense. All people in isolation must install a mobile app that allows authorities to monitor them in real time and ensure they are following the rules.
In the face of community spread of the virus, South Korea has been also pushing for an extensive 15-day social distancing campaign since March 22 that ends Sunday.
Citizens are strongly urged to stay home, except for essential needs or jobs. The government has also strongly recommended people suspend religious gatherings, indoor sports activities, and visits to nightclubs and other entertainment venues.
On Tuesday, the country pushed back the new school year to April 9 with the introduction of online classes. The opening of kindergartens and child care centers has been delayed indefinitely. (Yonhap)
