Korea saw new Covid-19 cases of below 300 for the second day on Tuesday but cluster infections tied to a Protestant church and the rally in central Seoul on Aug. 15 continued to spread throughout the country.

The nation has been recording three-digit figures of newly confirmed patients for more than 10 days, which is the first time since the massive outbreak occurred in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province in February and March, which also originated in a church.

Korea reported 280 new virus cases -- 264 local infections and eight foreign arrivals -- raising the cumulative caseload to 17,945 as of midnight Monday, the Korea Centers for Disaster Control and Prevention said. The number of confirmed patients reported since the National Liberation Day has surpassed 3,000 as of Tuesday.

Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo reiterated his calls for the public to follow the social distancing policy. Park said Koreans will have to go through difficult times by having to give up most of the normal activities and even losing jobs if the government tightens restrictions to Level Three.

The health minister stressed this week is crucial in deciding whether to raise social distancing to the highest level. He asked the public to avoid meetings, travels and visits to friends as it is vital to break chain infections. He also requested to wear a mask properly when having contact with others indoors or outdoors.

Health officials believe that the number of confirmed cases will inevitably rise for a while as the nation is conducting extensive diagnostic tests in the aftermath of outbreaks at Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul and the protest rally in Gwanghwamun Plaza 10 days ago.

The medical community and health authorities are on high alert as the rising number of severely ill patients could strain the medical system. Calls are mounting for securing sufficient sickbeds, medical workers and equipment to prepare for a sharp demand rise.

"If the medical system collapses due to the rapid increase in confirmed cases, including those with severe symptoms, a major disruption can occur in the nation’s healthcare system in treating not only the Covid-19 patients but also people with other diseases," KCDC Director Jung Eun-kyeong said.

Kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools, and special education facilities in the greater Seoul area were told to switch to complete remote classes instead of partial in-person classes from Wednesday to Sep. 11.

However, high school seniors who need to take face-to-face classes to prepare for the annual CSAT are excluded from mandatory remote courses. Students who need essential academic support can also take face-to-face lessons in addition to the remote classes.

The Ministry of Education's decision to maximize full-scale remote lessons in the Seoul metro region reflects its judgment that the second viral wave is imminent.

The number of schools that closed their doors reached 1,845 nationwide on Monday, the highest since the sequential opening in late May. Among the 1,845 schools, 148 were in Seoul, 422 in Gyeonggi Province, and 167 were in Incheon. Schools in Seoul and its vicinity accounted for 40 percent of the total number of closed schools.

There is a growing concern whether the College Scholastic Ability Test for college entrance will be properly held this year, as kindergarten and elementary, middle, and high schools in the metropolitan area are switching to remote classes.

The educational authorities have postponed the CSAT for two weeks from the initial schedule of Nov. 19 after they put off the reopening of schools several times due to widespread Covid-19 infections in the first semester.

The nation reported 16 imported cases. Seven patients were from the U.S. and one from Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Russia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ecuador.

Korea confirmed one death on Monday, pushing the death toll to 310. Sixty-seven more fully recovered people were released from quarantine and increased the total to 14,286 from the previous day. The country has carried out more than 1,825,837 coronavirus tests since Jan. 3.

shim531@docdocdoc.co.kr

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