SOUTH Korea’s new virus cases fell back to below 40 today, but a continued rise in cluster infections and imported cases put a strain on the country’s efforts to contain the virus, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The country added 33 cases, including 14 local infections, raising the total caseload to 13,512, according to the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

The tally marked a sharp fall from 62 new virus cases reported yesterday and 44 cases Sunday.

Imported cases emerged as yet another stumbling block in the country’s virus fight, with 19 additional imported cases being reported today.

Cases coming in from overseas increased by double-digit figures for the 19th consecutive day, spawning concerns about a sustained rise in such cases.

The country reported 43 imported cases yesterday, a four-month high.

Since yesterday, the country has required arrivals from four high-risk nations – Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan – to submit a certificate showing they tested negative for the virus.

Imported cases, once the main source of virus cases, fell to a single-digit figures early last month on the back of the country’s strengthened quarantine checks at airports.

But, such cases have bounced back to double-digits since mid-June as global virus cases have resurged amid eased lockdowns.

Sporadic cluster infections across the country also continued to weigh on the country’s efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19, with most tied to religious facilities and door-to-door retailers.

The country’s health authorities remain jittery over another wave of virus outbreaks in the summer amid sustained rises in local infections and cases coming in from overseas.

Meanshile, South Korea reported no additional deaths, keeping the death toll at 289. The fatality rate is 2.14%.

The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 12,282, up 78 from the previous day.

The country has carried out more than 1.4 million Covid-19 tests since January. – Bernama, July 14, 2020.