New virus infections stay in 1,400s for 2nd day on fewer tests

13:55, 18 July 2021

SEOUL. KAZINFORM South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases remained in the mid-1,400s for the second day in a row Sunday on fewer tests over the weekend amid concerns about increased cases in non-capital areas, the imminent summer holiday season and the prevalence of the delta variant from India.

The country added 1,454 COVID-19 cases, an all-time high for a Sunday, including 1,402 local infections, raising the total caseload to 177,951, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Yonhap reports.

The figure was down one from 1,455 on Saturday. The daily caseload has stayed above the 1,000 mark since July 7 on the back of a surge in confirmed new cases in the greater Seoul area. It hit a new high of 1,615 on Wednesday.

The country added two more COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 2,057. The fatality rate came to 1.16 percent.

The greater Seoul area, home to half of the country's 51.34 million population, has emerged as the hot spot for the recent spike in confirmed new cases.

Under the highest level of four-tier social distancing measures in the region since Monday, gatherings of more than two people are prohibited after 6 p.m., with entertainment facilities, such as nightclubs and bars, ordered to close and restaurants only allowed to operate till 10 p.m.

As new cases increased in non-capital areas, considered relatively safe from the virus, the health authorities are expected to announce a ban on the gatherings of five or more people in such regions.

A total of 16.13 million people, or 31.4 percent of the country's population, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines as of Sunday.

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