The number of daily new coronavirus cases in South Korea remained in the 300s today, on Saturday for the second straight day, as officials urged citizens to abide by enhanced social distancing measures, warning the coming week may be the last chance to stop a massive outbreak, Yonhap reported. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 323 new COVID-19 cases, including 308 local infections, over the past 24 hours, raising the total caseload to 19,400. Five more patients died, raising the death toll to 321. Saturday's daily tally marks a drop from the previous day, when the country's new virus cases came to 371, and a sharp drop from 441 on Thursday. Still, Saturday marks the 16th consecutive day of triple-digit jumps. Since Aug. 14, a combined 4,630 cases have been reported in South Korea, mostly tied to a conservative church in northern Seoul and the Aug. 15 Liberation Day rally in central Seoul. Of the 308 locally transmitted cases, 244 were identified in the capital area, home to half of the country's 51 million population. Seoul added 124 more cases, while the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and western port city of Incheon reported 100 and 20 cases, respectively, it said. Other major cities reported additional infections, with the southwestern city of Gwangju adding 14 cases and the southeastern port city of Busan confirming five more cases, the KCDC said.
