104 new COVID-19 cases reported in S. Korea, recovery rate at 45 percent

South Korea reported 104 new novel coronavirus cases Thursday, bringing total infections to 9,241, as the government scrambles to contain a surge in cases imported from Europe and the US.

So far, 4,144 patients of COVID-19, or 44.8 percent, in Korea made full recoveries since the country reported the first case on Jan. 20, with 414 more people having been discharged from isolation Thursday.

Of the new cases, 30 were identified during airport quarantine screening, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the government is set to enforce mandatory 14-day self-quarantines on arrivals from the US starting Friday.

Korea has seen a growing number of cases imported from abroad in recent weeks. This week alone, 86 cases came from Europe, 45 from America and eight from Asia. Of all cases in the country, 284 cases came from abroad.

Of the new cases reported Thursday, 26 cases were confirmed in Daegu, the city at the center of the coronavirus outbreak here, 14 in Gyeonggi Province, 13 in Seoul and 12 in North Gyeongsang Province. The cases in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province represent 70.14 percent and 13.79 percent, respectively, of the country’s total.

The total death toll rose by five to 131, with the overall fatality rate so far standing at 1.42 percent, according to the KCDC. The death rate is 6.66 percent for those in their 70s and 13.94 percent for those in their 80s.

So far, a total of 364,942 people have been tested for the virus, with 341,332 testing negative. Some 14,369 of them are still awaiting test results.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)