S. Korea reports 27 more cases of new coronavirus, total now at 10,591

South Korea recorded around 50 or fewer daily new cases over the past week, a sharp drop from the Feb. 29 peak of 909 new cases. But health authorities remain on high alert over cluster infections at churches and hospitals, as well as new cases coming from overseas.

The nation's death toll from the coronavirus, which emerged in China late last year, rose by three to 225, according to the KCDC. In total, 7,616 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus.

The total number of cases reported in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reached 6,823 and 1,348, respectively.

Other major provinces and cities also reported infections, with Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province adding five and six new cases, respectively.

The country also detected four new cases coming from overseas at border checkpoints, raising the country's total number of imported cases to 955.

Seeking to reduce the daily number of new infections to below 50, South Korea has extended strict guidelines on social distancing by two weeks to April 19.