SEOUL, Jul 29 – The daily number of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in South Korea fell slightly on Thursday after hitting a record high the day before as health officials consider putting more restrictions in place antivirus to slow the spread of the Delta variant and the growing infections outside of greater Seoul.
The country added 1,674 contaminations, including 1,632 local, bringing the toll to 195,099, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
The latest tally represents a drop from the record 1,896 Covid-19 cases reported on Wednesday, but is higher than the 1,365 infections on Tuesday.
Transmissions have been well above the 1,000 mark since the start of the month amid the country’s fourth epidemic wave.
The KDCA recorded two more deaths from Covid-19, bringing the death toll to 2,085. The death rate was 1.07%.
Health officials fear that the fourth wave has not yet peaked, given the growing cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant despite strict viral restrictions.
In an effort to stem the spread of the virus, South Korea has extended the highest Level 4 social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan area, the country’s hotspot in recent weeks, until August 8.
The strictest restrictions ban gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m., impose a 10 p.m. curfew on restaurants and cafes, and ban all activity at nightclubs and other places of entertainment.
Areas outside the Seoul metropolitan area are subject to level 3 measures until August 8, although some municipalities have adopted level 4 measures to better contain the virus.
Below level 3, cafes and restaurants can accept customers until 10 p.m., and only take-out and delivery services are available after that time. Private meetings of five or more people are prohibited, while mass gatherings must accommodate fewer than 50 people.
Health officials have said they will consider a plan to implement tighter restrictions if current distancing rules do not appear to improve the country’s viral situation.
South Korea is also working to step up its vaccination campaign by expanding inoculations to the younger population.
A total of 18.38 million people, or 35.8% of the country’s 51.3 million inhabitants, have received their first dose against Covid-19, and 7.02 million have been fully vaccinated, the report said. KDCA.
Of the 1,632 national cases, infections from areas outside the capital reached 570, or 34.9% of the total, after reaching the 30% mark in mid-July.
The southeastern port city of Busan and surrounding South Gyeongsang Province have reported 81 and 90 cases, respectively.
In the Seoul area, 508 infections were reported, while surrounding Gyeonggi Province added 460. The western port city of Incheon has confirmed 94 cases.
New infections from arrivals from abroad reached 42, bringing the total to 11,775.
The total released from quarantine after fully recovering was 171,559, up 1,065 from the previous day.
The number of critically ill patients rose to 285, one less than a day earlier.
(Yonhap)
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