SEOUL (SOUTH KOREA) – South Korean authorities urged vigilance on Saturday as small coronavirus clusters emerged in a third wave, centred in the Seoul area.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 583 new coronavirus infections, down from the 629 reported on Friday.
After implementing tighter restrictions on Saturday, the government is prepared to decide on Sunday whether to further make curbs in a country.
KDCA official Lim Sook-young said, “The recent outbreaks are small, multiple and is spread in people’s everyday lives. Please keep in mind that the current wave is not limited to a specific group or place but may be around our homes, family and acquaintances.”
Seoul accounted for 235 of the new infections. More than half of South Korea’s 52 million people live in the capital and surrounding areas.
Seoul launched curfews on Saturday, shuttering most establishments and shops at 9 p.m. (1200 GMT) for two weeks and cutting back public transportation operations by 30% in the evenings.
The number of people seriously or severely ill with COVID-19 rose by five to 121, using more of the nation’s swindling sickbeds, KDCA reported.
The health authorities said on Friday there were just 59 sickbeds immediately available for serious or severe cases and they would soon fall short of the same in less than two weeks.
South Korea has reported 36,915 coronavirus infections and 540 deaths, the KDCA said.