Korea's new Covid-19 cases remained above 30 on Wednesday, as both community spreads and imported infections showed little signs of slowing down.

The nation reported 33 new virus cases -- 15 local infections and 18 foreign arrivals -- raising the cumulative total to 14,456 as of midnight Tuesday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. Fifty-four more people recovered, pushing the number of cured patients to 13,406, with 748 people receiving treatment.

One more person died, increasing the death toll to 302. The nation has tested 1,598,187 suspected patients since Jan. 3.

Of the 15 local outbreaks, eight occurred in the greater Seoul area, including Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, followed by six in North Chungcheong Province and one in South Gyeongsang Province.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun called for health officials to come up with special measures to contain further spreads stemming from cafes and restaurants in addition to bars and clubs.

"The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and other related ministries should promptly prepare quarantine rules in facilities frequently visited by people of all ages, such as restaurants and cafes," Chung said.

Chung explained that such new measures are necessary as the number of locally confirmed cases in Korea has remained in the single-digit in the last 10 days, and dropped to an average of 2.1 for regions outside the greater Seoul area.

In the densely populated Seoul metro region, however, small cluster infections originating at cafes and restaurants have continued to appear sporadically.

"At cafes and coffee shops, there is a limit to blocking the spread of infection as it is not easy to follow social distancing regulations and wear a mask," Chung said. "Moreover, quiet transmission in such places is making it difficult to determine the cause and route of infection."

Chung also urged the citizens to keep in mind that even a moment's carelessness can lead to irreversible consequences.

"At coffee shops and eateries, people are advised to keep distance and wear masks when they are not eating or drinking," Chung said.

Out of the 18 imported cases, the U.S. and Uzbekistan reported six patients, while Kazakhstan, Japan, India, France, Ethiopia, and the Philippines reported one case each. The total number of foreign arrivals has also reached 2,500.

By nationality, 11 were Koreans, and seven were foreigners. Six of them tested positive for the virus in the screening process at either an airport or a seaport. In contrast, 12 others were confirmed to have the virus while under self-quarantine, according to the public health agency.

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