New virus infections fall below 50 for 1st time since late February

SEOUL, April 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea reported 47 new cases of the novel coronavirus Monday, down from 81 new cases a day earlier, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,284 and marking the fewest daily infections since late February.

South Korea has recorded some 100 or fewer additional cases in its daily number of new virus cases for more than three weeks, 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 186. More than 130 recovered from the virus Sunday, raising the total number of cured people to 6,598, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, the nation's two worst-affected regions, reported 13 and two new cases, respectively, the KCDC said. The total number of cases reported in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reached 6,781 and 1,316, respectively.

Other major provinces and cities also reported infections, with Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province adding 11 and eight new cases, respectively. Incheon, a port city located just west of Seoul, reported one additional case.

The country also detected seven new cases coming from overseas at border checkpoints, raising the country's total number of imported cases to 769.

Seeking to reduce the daily number of new infections below 50, South Korea extended stricter guidelines on social distancing Monday by two weeks to April 19. South Korea has tested 466,804 people so far.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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