▲ This Yonhap News TV image shows medical staff collecting specimens from people at coronavirus testing centers. (Yonhap)

coronavirus-additional cases

New cases back above 500 amid possible hike woes

SEOUL, May 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose back above 500 on Tuesday, with health authorities remaining on alert over a potential spike amid spreading variant cases.

The country reported 511 more COVID-19 cases, including 483 local infections, raising the total caseload to 128,283, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

Tuesday's figure rebounded from 463 a day earlier but is lower than 564 Sunday and 701 Saturday. The daily caseload usually spikes after weekends as more people get tested.

There was four additional deaths from the virus, raising the total to 1,879. The fatality rate was 1.46 percent.

Of the new locally transmitted cases, 310 cases came from the capital area, with 163 from Seoul, 127 from Gyeonggi Province and 20 from Incheon, just west of Seoul.

South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan reported 13 more cases.

There were 28 additional imported cases, bringing the country's total number of imported cases to 8,608.

The number of seriously or critically ill COVID-19 patients was 171, up 10 from the previous day.

The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries was 118,717, up 873 from a day earlier, with 7,687 people being isolated for COVID-19 treatment.

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