New infection cases under 1,000 for 3rd day; restrictions eased on indoor sports facilities

The country added 870 more COVID-19 cases, including 833 local infections, raising the total caseload to 66,688, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Yonhap reports.

Wednesday's daily caseload was up from 840 on Tuesday and 714 on Monday, but sharply fell from 1,020 on Sunday. The average daily new cases stood at 863.7 and the reproduction rate stayed slightly below 1 over the past week.

Nineteen people died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours to raise the death toll to 1,046.

Specialized rescue crews conduct an emergency rescue drill aimed at assisting hospitals designated for treatment of COVID-19 patients in northern Seoul on Jan. 6, 2021. (Yonhap)

Health authorities said the virus curve has been slowly flattening thanks to preemptive testing and social distancing rules, but they remained vigilant over continued group infections in care centers and churches and the spread of a new virus variant first reported in Britain.

The move comes as the country has confirmed a total of 11 cases of the new strain and one case of a separate variant spreading in South Africa.

South Korea has extended the suspension of direct flights from Britain for two more weeks to block a more transmissible coronavirus variant first detected in the European country.

Starting Friday, foreigners arriving at South Korean airports must present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of their departure to the nation.

For full version go to