▲ Citizens enjoy a "media facade" show held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul on March 26, 2021, while maintaining social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Yonhap)
▲ A citizen receives a coronavirus test at a makeshift clinic in front of Seoul Station on March 26, 2021. (Yonhap)

coronavirus-additional cases

New virus cases hit one-month high amid concerns over spring resurgence

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose to above 500 Saturday to reach the highest in more than a month, deepening concerns over a resurgence in infections particularly as more people go out in the warmer weather.

The country reported 505 more COVID-19 cases, including 490 local infections, raising the total caseload to 101,275, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

The country added five more deaths from COVID-19, increasing the total to 1,721.

Saturday's caseload is the highest since Feb. 19 when the country reported 561 new patients.

The daily virus cases rose to 494 on Friday from 430 on Thursday and 428 on Wednesday after a brief fall to 346 on Tuesday. The daily caseload had stayed above 400 for six days in a row through Monday as cluster infections have continued across the country.

As there have been signs of a new spike in the virus cases, the government decided Friday to extend the current Level 2 social distancing rules in the densely populated greater Seoul area, the third highest in its five-tier system, and Level 1.5 for the rest of the country for another two weeks until April 11.

Gatherings of five or more people will continue to be banned, and restaurants and other public facilities in the greater Seoul area will be allowed to remain open until 10 p.m.

The authorities also designated the next five weeks starting Saturday as a "special virus prevention period" in response to the expected growth in spring travel.

Of the total 490 locally transmitted cases, the greater Seoul area accounted for 62.4 percent. Seoul reported 126, and Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital city saw 141 new patients. Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, reported 39 more cases.

The number of imported cases came to 15, down from 23 the previous day.

The number of patients with serious symptoms across the country reached 103, down from 111 the previous day, according to the KDCA.

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