Health

South Korea reports fewest Covid-19 cases in month

Seoul, Jun 22 (efe-epa).- South Korea reported 17 fresh Covid-19 cases on Monday, the lowest number in nearly a month, but authorities said they are still concerned over large outbreaks in Seoul and other areas.

The new cases were detected on Sunday, of which six were imported and 11 were local, the lowest figure since 26 May in the country.

The total number of infections in the country stands at 12,438, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday.

This figure also marked a sharp drop in the number of cases compared to Saturday and Sunday, when 48 and 67 infections were registered respectively.

The KCDC said the low amounts could also be because of a reduced number of PCR tests over the weekend.

On Sunday a little more than 5,000 such tests were carried out compared to 12,000 on Friday.

Of the 11 cases of local transmission, seven were detected in Seoul and in the region around the capital, where half of the country’s population of 26 million people live and where 90 percent of new infections due to sporadic outbreaks have been concentrated in recent months.

After containing the rate of infections and implementing a more relaxed phase of social distancing on 6 May, the capital region had to re-tighten two weeks ago in the Seoul metropolitan area due to outbreaks that had been detected in bars, warehouses, churches, businesses and sports clubs.

All these activities have now been classified as high risk and will have to implement stricter preventive measures such using a QR Code to record customers’ details.

South Korea is one of the countries that have best managed the outbreak without imposing a lockdown or closing its borders.

There are currently 1,277 active cases, around 10 percent of the total confirmed infections, while 87.5 percent of those infected, around 10,880, have been discharged from hospital.

The country has reported 280 deaths due to Covid-19, putting its fatality rate at 2.25 percent.

Since it was first detected in China in December the pandemic has caused 464,400 lives in 188 countries and regions.

There have been almost 8.8 confirmed cases globally, of which 4.3 have recovered, according to the Johns Hopkins University. EFE-EPA

asb/sk/rb

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