South Korea COVID-19 cases rise in hospitals, nursing homes
Commuters are seen at the Seoul Railway Station in South Korea, Oct 22, 2020. (Photo: AP/Ahn Young-joon)
SEOUL: South Korea recorded its biggest increase in COVID-19 cases in more than 40 days on Friday (Oct 23) as more infections were reported at hospitals and nursing homes.
A nursing home in Namyangju, east of Seoul, was put under isolation after more than 30 workers and residents tested positive. About 120 infections have been linked to a hospital in nearby Gwangju.
The 155 new cases announced Friday by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency brought the national caseload to 25,698, including 455 deaths.
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The agency said 138 of the new cases were local transmissions, most of them reported from the greater capital area.
At least 17 of the new cases were tied to international arrivals, including passengers coming from France, Kuwait, Nepal, Bangladesh and Japan.
The steady spread of the virus has caused concern in a country that eased its social distancing restrictions just last week to cope with a weak economy. High-risk businesses such as nightclubs and karaoke bars have reopened while fans returned to the stands in professional sports.
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