South Korea reported 27 new cases of the coronavirus Sunday, the lowest since a cluster infection linked to a logistics center near Seoul broke out last week, as health officials kept up efforts to prevent similar collective infections, Trend reports citing Yonhap.
The new cases, 15 of them local infections, raised South Korea's total coronavirus caseload to 11,468, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
It marks the first time in five days that the daily number of virus cases was below 30. The daily rise of new virus cases reached nearly a two month-high of 79 on Thursday, then declined to 58 Friday and 39 Saturday.
But health authorities remain on high alert amid concerns recent cluster infections could develop into another wave of massive infections amid school reopenings.
A distribution facility run by e-commerce leader Coupang Inc. in Bucheon, just west of Seoul, has emerged as a cluster infection as health authorities have been grappling with mass infections tied to nightclubs and bars in Seoul's nightlife neighborhood of Itaewon earlier this month.
So far, more than 100 cases have been traced to the distribution center since the first patient was confirmed last week, according to the KCDC.
The country reported one additional death, bringing the total death toll at 270. The fatality rate was 2.35 percent.
The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10,405, up 7 from the previous day, with 793 people currently under treatment.
The resurgence in new virus cases in recent days has put South Korea's "everyday life quarantine" scheme, which enables citizens to carry out social and economic activities under quarantine rules, in jeopardy.
There has been speculation that the country may return to its strict social distancing scheme. The country Friday opted to impose a tighter virus prevention mesures in the capital and densely populated metropolitan area over the next two weeks through June 14.