연이틀 500명대 속 비수도권도 본격 확산세…하루새 188명 확진<br /><br />Our starting point tonight: The daily virus tally hovered above 500 for the second straight day today nearing a nine-month high as South Korea braces for bed shortages.<br />Health authorities are urging the public to stay home this weekend to contain a viral resurgence and they will make public this Sunday whether the country will further toughen the social distancing guidelines.<br />Han Seong-woo leads our coverage tonight.<br />South Korea added 569 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the second day straight the daily tally has topped 500.<br />525 of the new cases were locally transmitted with the capital region accounting for over 300 of them.<br />The city of Seoul alone has seen over 200 new infections for two days in a row.<br />These include more than 60 extra cases stemming from a cluster infection at an aerobics center in Gangseo-gu District.<br />Except the southeastern city of Daegu, all major cities and provinces reported additional cases with 112 coming from Gyeonggi-do Province.<br />The ongoing third wave poses a threat to the government's efforts to safely administer the upcoming national college entrance exam, known as 'Suneung', which will be taken by 490-thousand students across the country on December third.<br />In preparation for the worst, health officials are considering raising social distancing levels once more.<br />"The government discussed today the need to intensify social distancing measures in the Seoul metropolitan area and other regions, and will make a decision as soon as possible after gathering opinions from local authorities and various experts."<br />The decision may come as soon as this Sunday but authorities will have to factor in how strengthened guidelines could affect the economy and people's livelihoods.<br />Level Two social distancing under the nation's five-tier system has been in place throughout the Seoul capital area since Tuesday.<br />Meanwhile, the military has been operating under its own Level 2.5 measures since Thursday due to an outbreak at a military facility in Gyeonggi-do Province.<br />South Korea's total caseload stands at 32-thousand 8-hundred-87.<br />77 patients are currently in critical condition and with one more fatality, the death toll has risen to 516.<br />Han Seong-woo, Arirang News.<br />
