SEOUL, South Korea _ South Korea posted the fewest number of new coronavirus cases since an outbreak at a religious sect in late February spiked daily infections to nearly 1,000 and set off a massive testing and tracing regime credited with curbing the virus's spread.
South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it confirmed eight new cases in a 24 hour period, the lowest since Feb. 20 when the number of infections began rising exponentially after a parishioner of the 212,000-member Shincheongji church was confirmed with the virus. Before what has been labeled "patient no. 31," South Korea had been averaging about three new cases a day.
While the number of new cases could flare up again, reaching a single-digit daily tally marks a milestone in South Korea's efforts to contain the virus without taking harsh measures such as imposing a lockdown or banning travel.
South Korea instead launched a massive testing campaign that's being used as a model in other countries that included setting up drive-in centers and phone booth-like stalls for testing. Health authorities have also leveraged the country's high-tech connectivity to aggressively track down potential infections by tracking patients' credit card transactions and smartphone usage.
CDC reported two more deaths in the recent 24-hour period, raising the total to 234. The number of confirmed cases rose to 10,661 while 8,042 virus patients have been discharged.
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