World News | South Korea Sees Steady Rise in Virus Cases

Seoul, Aug 23 (AP) South Korea has added 397 new coronavirus cases, counting its tenth straight day of triple-digit increases as the speed of viral spread nears the levels the country saw during the worst of its outbreak in spring.

The resurgence, which began in the densely populated capital area before spreading to practically every major city and provincial town over the past week, is a major setback for the country that had been eager to tout its hard-won gains against the virus.

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After avoiding stringent social distancing measures because of concerns over a fragile economy, officials have now banned large gatherings, closed nightspots, beaches and churches and removed fans from professional sports in a desperate effort to stem transmissions.

Sunday's daily jump in infections marked the third-consecutive day of over 300 and the highest since the 483 cases reported on March 7, when the country was dealing with a spike of transmissions in its southeastern region.

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The KCDC linked 297 of the new cases to the Seoul metropolitan area, home to half of the country's 51 million population, where health workers have struggled to track infections tied to various sources, including churches, schools, restaurants and workplaces.

Cases were also reported in other major cities such as Busan. Gwangju, Daejeon and Daegu, the epicenter of the country's previous major outbreak in late February and March. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)