코로나 신규확진 280명...박능후 "오직 거리두기 뿐, 3단계 가면 일상이 정지"<br /><br />Authorities here are scrambling to make sure the sudden surge in cases does not put a strain on hospital beds as South Korea has seen triple-digit increase for the 12th day.<br />280 new Covid-19 cases reported today - most of them in the densely populated greater Seoul area - prompting officials to once again stress social distancing.<br />This week will be "make-or-break" time.<br />Yoon Jung-min reports.<br />South Korea reported 280 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday,... of which 264 were local transmissions.<br />Of them, 134 cases were reported in Seoul, 63 in Gyeonggi-do Province, and 15 in Incheon.<br />The country has reported triple digits of new cases for 12 days in a row. Many of the early cases came from cluster infections at a church in Seoul, and a rally on South Korea's National Liberation Day on August 15th.<br />The health authorities said that as of noon Tuesday,... the total number of COVID-19 infections related to the Sarang Jeil Church was tallied at 915.<br />Nearly 200 cases were reported related to the rally at the Gwanghwamun Square on August 15th.<br />But the source of almost 17 percent of the roughly 3-thousand cases reported in the last two weeks remains unknown.<br />The South Korean government is tightening social distancing measures,... including making it mandatory to wear a mask in public.<br />The authorities are asking people to follow the strict rules,... saying the country is at a critical juncture and could have to raise the social distancing level by another notch.<br />"This week is the crucial moment for whether to decide to raise social distancing to Level 3. Level 3 social distancing means a suspension of daily activities, and we have to suffer from collapsing job numbers."<br />As of Tuesday, only seven of the total of 85 intensive care units in the capital area remain available due to the surging number of infections.<br />The authorities said they are currently in close contact with major general hospitals to secure more hospital beds.<br />Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.<br />
