(LEAD) S. Korea's new virus cases fall below 30 for 3rd day

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SEOUL, April 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea recorded fewer than 30 new cases of the novel coronavirus for the third day in a row Wednesday, as the nation is facing the fourth week of strict social-distancing restrictions to slow the spread of the highly contagious virus.

The 27 new cases, which were detected Tuesday and compared with 27 on Monday and 25 on Sunday, brought the nation's total infections to 10,591, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

South Korea recorded around 50 or fewer daily new cases over the past week, a sharp drop from the Feb. 29 peak of 909 new cases. 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 225, according to the KCDC. In total, 7,616 people in South Korea have recovered from the virus.

The total number of cases reported in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reached 6,823 and 1,348, respectively.

Other major provinces and cities also reported infections, with Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province adding five and six new cases, respectively.

The country also detected four new cases coming from overseas at border checkpoints, raising the country's total number of imported cases to 955.

Seeking to reduce the daily number of new infections to below 50, South Korea has extended strict guidelines on social distancing by another two weeks to April 19.

South Korea, which has tested 534,552 people so far, is the first major country to hold elections amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Voters wearing face masks and disposable gloves cast their ballots Wednesday, with precautionary measures being put in place at polling stations.

Apparently having slowed the spread of coronavirus infections recently, South Korea went ahead with the quadrennial elections to fill the 300-seat unicameral National Assembly.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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