South Korea reported its biggest spike in new coronavirus cases in nearly two months, raising fears of a second wave of infections that challenges its highly touted testing and contact tracing strategy to stem the pandemic.
The country on Thursday reported 79 new cases, about double the new infections reported a day earlier and marked the highest number of cases since April 5 when it registered 81. The total number of confirmed cases reached 11,344, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
In the wake of the new cluster of infections, the South Korean government said it was temporarily closing public museums, parks and galleries in the Seoul metropolitan area and may consider stronger social distancing measures if the situation worsens. There will be no change to scheduled plans for schools to reopen.
The latest surge came as health authorities were investigating a new outbreak at a distribution center for Softbank-backed Coupang Corp., an e-commerce company known for its "rocket delivery" service, which has increased in popularity as more Koreans have turned to online shopping in the wake of pandemic.
So far, 82 cases have been linked to the distribution center with the numbers likely to rise as health authorities complete testing of more than 4,000 known contacts, South Korea's Vice Health and Welfare Minister Kim Kang-lip said at a briefing Thursday. About 80% of the potential contacts have been tested so far, he said.
Coupang said in a statement Thursday that an employee at another distribution center northwest of Seoul was confirmed with the virus, leading the company to shut down the facility. It has raised concerns of a broader spread in the region.
But while there are worries that these cases could develop into community spread, "This cluster of infections will likely be managed within our capacity to quarantine," Kim said.
The latest cluster follows an outbreak at Seoul nightclubs earlier this month that has led to more than 260 infections. The country had its worst virus surge in late February when an outbreak at a religious sect swelled daily cases to nearly 1,000.
Rather than taking severe measures such as lockdowns and banning travel, South Korea has focused on massive testing and contact tracing to find infections and treat them before the virus can spread further. As of Thursday, deaths stood at 269 in South Korea, which saw its first confirmed infection at about the same time as the U.S., where the death toll has reached 100,000.
