Of the 238 locally transmitted cases, 183 were identified in the capital area, home to half of the country’s 51 million population. Seoul added 91 more cases, while the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and west port city of Incheon reported 79 and 13 cases, respectively.
Other major municipalities reported additional infections, with the southwestern city of Gwangju adding nine cases and the southern resort island of Jeju confirming five more cases.
So far, more than 1,000 cases have been traced to the Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul — a hotbed of the recent spike in new infections. The church-linked cases also led to infections in at least 25 locations, with cases reported in nine different provinces and municipalities outside the greater Seoul area.
Also at least 369 patients have been reported from the Aug. 15 demonstration in central Seoul, with cases identified in 11 different provinces and municipalities outside the greater Seoul area.
South Korea began to impose strengthened antivirus curbs in the greater Seoul area Sunday to curb another nationwide spread of COVID-19. More than 70 percent of virus cases in the country have come from the nation’s capital area in recent weeks.
Under enhanced guidelines, restaurants and bakeries in the greater Seoul area can operate until 9 p.m., and only takeaway and delivery will be permitted from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. For franchise coffee chains, only takeout or delivery will be permitted regardless of operating hours.
Indoor sports facilities, such as fitness centers and billiard halls, are also advised to suspend their operations, while toughened virus prevention measures are also enforced at cram schools and elderly care centers.
The number of newly identified imported cases stood at 10, with three of them detected at quarantine checkpoints at airports and harbors. The country’s total number of imported cases is now at 2,823.
South Korea reported one more death from the coronavirus, raising the death toll to 324. The country’s virus fatality rate is now at 1.63 percent.
But the country could experience more deaths from the virus as the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients reached 79, up nine from a day earlier.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 14,973, up 70 from the previous day, with 4,650 people isolated for COVID-19 treatment, up 177 from a day ago.
kdon@yna.co.kr
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