New virus cases bounce back to over 100 again, cluster infections drag in virus fight

SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus infections bounced back to over 100 three days after rising by two digits Wednesday as sporadic cluster infections from hospitals and informal gatherings continued.

The country added 118 more COVID-19 cases, including 98 local infections, raising the total caseload to 26,925, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The latest upticks came mostly from senior nursing homes, hospitals and other facilities, but sporadic community infections have also taken place at small gatherings of families and friends.

Since the country eased its three-tier social distancing measures by one notch to the lowest level on Oct. 12, the daily figures have shown ups and downs, hovering around 100.

Health authorities are still on guard against potential cases tied to Halloween parties over the weekend, as young people gathered at clubs and bars in Seoul amid eased social distancing measures.

Authorities are paying keen attention to the latest cases, which could affect the new social distancing precautions set to take effect Saturday.

The government has revised the three-tier social distancing guidelines to a five-tier scheme with more specific and tailored antivirus steps to mitigate the impact on businesses.

If the current trend continues, the government is expected to maintain the Level 1 social distancing scheme under revised antivirus measures, which is imposed when the average daily infections in the Seoul metropolitan area remain below 100.

ejkim@yna.co.kr
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