HealthCoronavirus

Actions

South Korea Sees Smallest Rise In COVID-19 Cases In 2 Months

The daily count dropped to a single digit. Back in February and March, the country was counting hundreds of cases a day.
Posted at 3:20 PM, Apr 19, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-19 15:20:53-04

South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported eight new COVID-19 cases Sunday — the first time the daily count has dropped into single digits in about two months.

In late February and early March, South Korea recorded hundreds of new cases each day. 

While this drop is a good sign in the country's fight against coronavirus, President Moon Jae-in said the country "must not loosen our guard until the last confirmed patient is recovered."

South Korea had recently seen another wave of COVID-19 cases. NBC News reports the country documented a handful of local infection clusters this month as people resume moving about in places like Seoul. And the outlet says the country experienced an influx of travelers from the U.S. and Europe, prompting concerns of cases being imported.

The South Korean government extended its social distancing policies through May 5, and says it will reevaluate every two weeks.

Contains footage from CNN.