코로나19 어제 967명 신규확진…사흘만에 다시 1천명 아래<br /><br />South Korea plans to announce this weekend whether they'll raise the country's social distancing level to its highest level, level three.<br />This comes as cluster infections and daily new coronavirus cases continue to soar by around one-thousand daily.<br />It also reported 21 more deaths.<br />Min Suk-hyen reports.<br />South Korea reported 9-hundred-67 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, falling below a thousand for the first time in three days.<br />Of the additional cases, 940 were locally transmitted, while 27 were from overseas.<br />This now brings the nation's total number of cases to over 60-thousand.<br />21 more fatalities were also reported, raising the death toll to 9-hundred.<br />Health authorities gave several reasons for the current wave of infections.<br />"The number of asymptomatic patients, the winter season and eased social distancing measures have led to the spread of the virus across the country."<br />Infections have mostly been concentrated in the greater Seoul area, which accounted for about 70 percent of Thursday's confirmed cases.<br />The capital again reported the most cases with 3-hundred-65... followed by 2-hundred-19 in Gyeonggi-do Province.<br />Cluster infections continue to appear, with many at long-term care hospitals and religious facilities.<br />A total of 17 nursing homes have been hit with mass virus outbreaks, including one in Seoul's Guro-gu District and another in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do Province... both of which have more than a hundred cases linked to them.<br />Concerns are also rising over the new COVID-19 variant first detected in the UK.<br />The country has so far reported five cases of the variant, but health officials say there could be more in the coming days.<br />To contain the virus, the government has vowed to strengthen its response, announcing plans to start vaccinations in the first quarter of 2021.<br />"The COVID-19 treatment made by S. Korea is under review and we are signing contracts to purchase vaccines developed abroad. Inoculations will begin as early as February."<br />The Prime Minister added that Korean-made vaccines will be available by the end of next year.<br />South Korea will decide on Saturday whether to raise its social distancing guidelines to the highest level or extend the current Level 2-point-5 measures... which are due to end this weekend.<br />Min Suk-hyen, Arirang News.<br />
