New virus cases above 100 for 4th day, cluster infections in focus
SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases rose by triple digits for the fourth straight day Saturday as cluster infections across the country continued to pile up amid eased social distancing measures.
The country added 127 more COVID-19 cases, including 96 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 26,511, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
It marked a rise from 103 new cases reported Wednesday, 125 on Thursday and 114 on Friday, it said.
Pedestrians line up in front of a coronavirus-prevention gate at the entrance to the main street in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul, on Oct. 30, 2020, as health authorities strengthen efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 one day before Halloween. To pass through the gate, people must sanitize their hands, get temperature checks and register with smartphone QR codes. (Yonhap)
The latest upticks were mostly traced to senior nursing homes, hospitals and other facilities, but sporadic group infections continued to rise at small gatherings, including family meetings not only in the greater Seoul area but across the country.
Since the country eased the social distancing scheme by one notch to the lowest level of a three-tier system on Oct. 12, the daily figures have shown ups and downs, hovering around 100.
Health authorities warned that the country's virus cases may further pile up on a potential resurgence in virus infections as people travel to enjoy autumn vacations.
Halloween, which falls on Saturday, is also a major concern for health authorities as people could gather at entertainment facilities, potential hotbeds for cluster infections.
The country reported more than 270 COVID-19 cases tied to clubs in the nightlife district of Itaewon in western Seoul in early May.
khj@yna.co.kr
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