(3rd LD) New COVID-19 cases above 500 for 3rd day; virus curbs tightened in Busan

 South Korea’s daily new coronavirus cases stayed in the 500s for the third straight day Friday, as cluster infections continued to emerge across the nation. Social distancing rules were tightened in some cities, including Busan and Jeonju.

The country reported 558 more COVID-19 cases, including 533 local infections, raising the total caseload to 104,194, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

The country added two more deaths from COVID-19, increasing the total to 1,737.

In South Korea, a third wave of infections, which began in mid-November last year, has shown little signs of slowing down, with the nation reporting daily cases that have hovered around 400 over the past week.

Health authorities have warned of another wave as cluster infections have continued to emerge at various facilities, including saunas, religious gatherings and workplaces.

As of Thursday, the reproduction rate slightly fell to 1.36, which indicates that a single COVID-19 patient transmits the disease to more than one person. A day earlier, the rate was 1.39.

Over the past month, authorities found a total of 9,677 cases that violated social distancing protocols. Of them, fines were imposed on 2,396 cases, officials said.