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| Medical inspectors examine students and faculty members of Jukjeon High School in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, to check their COVID-19 infection possibility. Yonhap |
South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 50 for the second consecutive day Thursday as domestic infections, mostly traced to sporadic clusters, jumped to an over one-month high.
The country identified an additional 56 virus cases, including 47 local infections, raising the total caseload to 14,770, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
It marked the second straight day that the daily virus cases hovered above 50 following 54 cases Wednesday.
Domestic infections reached the highest level since July 3, when the country reported 49 cases, as sporadic cluster infections, mostly tied to churches in the capital area and a fast-food operator, have led to yet another flare-up of the novel coronavirus.
Of the new locally transmitted cases, 25 were reported in Seoul and 16 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the KCDC said. The southeastern city of Busan added two more cases of COVID-19.
More than 30 cases have been linked to a church in Goyang, just north of Seoul. The outbreak at the church has also led to infections at the Namdaemun Market in central Seoul and a day care center in Goyang.
Also, more than 20 cases have been traced to another church in Goyang, while at least 17 cases have also been identified at a church in Gimpo, just west of Seoul.
Health authorities are also keeping a close eye on cases connected to a gathering of employees from Lotteria, a fast-food franchise, in Seoul. So far, 11 of them have tested positive for COVID-19.
The daily rise in imported cases dropped to a single-digit figure for the first time in four days.
Of the nine imported cases, three were detected at either an airport or a seaport.
The total number of imported cases is now at 2,600.
The country reported no new virus deaths for the fourth consecutive day, keeping the number of fatalities at 305, according to the KCDC. The fatality rate reached 2.06 percent.
The number of patients fully cured of the virus reached 13,817, up 31 from the previous day.
South Korea has carried out 1,654,898 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 3. (Yonhap)
