Korea’s new Covid-19 cases climbed back above 300 Wednesday, stepping up pressure on the public health authorities to raise the social distancing regime to the highest level soon.

The daily virus cases have been seesawing around 300 over the past several days, as sporadic cluster infections gripped the entire country starting from two new epicenters -- a Protestant church in northern Seoul and a massive anti-government rally in the heart of the capital city on Aug. 15.

Korea reported 320 new virus cases -- 307 local infections and 13 foreign arrivals -- raising the cumulative caseload to 18,265 as of midnight Tuesday.

The nation had put the pandemic under control until early August with daily new cases remaining in double-digit figures. Over the past 13 days, however, 3,395 new Covid-19 cases were reported throughout the country, the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention said. Most of the new cases were tied to the controversial church and the rally by right-wing organizations.

According to the KCDC, the cumulative caseload related to Sarang Jeil Church, amounted to 915 as of Tuesday noon, affecting 22 facilities, including medical institutions and daycare centers. An additional 193 cases were reported from the Aug. 15 demonstration in downtown Seoul.

Hit hardest by the latest community outbreaks is Seoul and its vicinity. Among the 320 new cases reported Wednesday, 229 were confirmed in the Seoul metro region -- 110 in Seoul, 92 in Gyeonggi Province, and 27 in Incheon.

Korea’s new virus cases peaked in late February at 909 due mainly to a new religious sect in the southeastern city of Daegu and surrounding North Gyeongsang Province. The two early-phase epicenters accounted for three-quarters of the nation’s total caseload at the time. Through successful efforts by central and local governments, the number had since reduced a single digit in early May.

Health officials say the latest spike could be worse than the initial outbreaks in the southeastern region, as the virus spread more quickly in the greater Seoul area, home to more than half of the nation’s population.

As chain infections continued to break out in almost all large cities and provinces with more than 20 percent of them through unidentifiable routes, the health authorities are seriously considering tightening social distancing to the highest grade of Level Three.

Kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools and special-education facilities in Seoul and its surrounding area went into full-scale remote classes from Wednesday. Educational authorities said that 7,749 schools and 77- special educational facilities would stop regular classes and adopt remote lessons until Sep. 11.

The Education Ministry said the preemptive move is necessary to hold this year’s College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scheduled in December without a hitch.

“It was inevitable to switch from regular classes to remote lessons to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said. “Preventing further infections and containing the virus were urgent to administer CSAT scheduled on Dec. 3."

Health authorities say the Level Three social distancing scheme may be unavoidable if the numbers do not fall this week, warning that under the tightest restrictions, 10 or more people cannot hold a meeting, and leading normal activities will be all but impossible.

The nation reported 13 imported cases. Three patients were from Uzbekistan, two from Kazakhstan, and one from the U.S., Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Guatemala, Mexico, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Egypt.

Two more Covid-19 patients died on Tuesday, raising the death toll to 312. An additional 82 people were fully recovered and released from quarantine, increasing the total to 14,368. The country has tested 1,849,506 people since Jan. 3.

shim531@docdocdoc.co.kr

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