‘Stately guard’ members in traditional Korean costume wear face masks amid concerns over Covid-19, as they produce for tourists at Deoksugung palace in Seoul on April 8, 2020.
Jung Yeon-je | AFP | Getty Images
South Korea reported the highest everyday rise in coronavirus cases since early March on Wednesday as an outbreak in the capital Seoul appeared to intensify.
The 297 new infections characteristic the sixth straight day of triple-digit increases in a country that has managed to blunt several previous outbreaks, bringing South Korea’s unmitigated to 16,058 infections with 306 deaths, health officials said.
Most of the new cases appeared in Seoul and the neighbourhood areas, raising concerns of a broader outbreak in a metropolitan area of more than 25 million people that has not seen small clusters so far.
The government ordered the closure of nightclubs, karaoke bars, buffets and cyber cafes earlier this week, banned all in-person church benefits, and restricted indoor and outdoor gatherings to no more than 50 and 100 people respectively.
If the numbers rise or with at current levels, the government will likely impose the highest level of social distancing rules, under which cliques are closed, businesses are advised to work from home, and gatherings limited to 10 people.