신규확진 540명, 이틀째 500명대…위중증 하루새 16명 급증 비상<br /><br />The number of new coronavirus cases in South Korea is in the five-hundred range for the second day in a row.<br />But, in some weclome news, health authorities say the government has reached a deal with vaccine maker AstraZeneca.<br />Min Suk-hyen reports.<br />South Korea reported 540 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday… the second straight day with more than five-hundred cases.<br />Of Thursday's cases, 516 were locally transmitted and only 24 were from overseas.<br />More than 80 percent of the newly confirmed cases were concentrated in the greater Seoul area ... with the capital reporting 260 infections, while Gyeonggi-do Province and Incheon saw 137 and 22 cases, respectively.<br />This brings the country's total cases to over 35-thousand.<br />Recent cluster infections include an English academy and a call center in Gangnam-gu district.<br />With the recent rise in cases, the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients rose to 117, after 16 more were added from the previous day.<br />The country's death toll for the virus increased by three to 529, putting the fatality rate at 1-point-48 percent.<br />Meanwhile, according to health authorities, the government has completed an agreement with AstraZeneca and will share details of the agreement once negotiations with other vaccine developers are also complete.<br />South Korea has been working to purchase COVID-19 vaccines from five major firms, which are in their third phase of clinical trials, such as Pfizer and Moderna.<br />Min Suk-hyen, Arirang News.<br />
