S. Korea confirms 27 new cases, less than 50 for 6th day

South Korea reported 27 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections to 10,564.

The country, which once had the largest outbreak outside China, saw less than 50 new cases of COVID-19 for the sixth straight day.

Of all patients, 7,534 people, or 71.3 percent, have recovered, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of the new cases, 12 came from overseas. Seven of those were detected at airport checkpoints.

Korea is still on alert due to the continued influx of new infections from overseas, small-scale outbreaks in the country and patients who had previously recovered testing positive again. Of the country’s total cases, 940 cases have come from overseas, with 91.7 percent involving Korean nationals.

By region, Gyeonggi Province saw the most new cases at eight. Five new cases were reported in North Gyeongsang Province, three in Daegu, two in Seoul and one each in Incheon and Ulsan.

With five more deaths, the death toll rose to 222, putting the country’s overall fatality rate at 2.1 percent. The fatality rate stands at 22.22 percent for those in their 80s and older, 9.29 percent for those in their 70s and 2.47 percent for those in their 60s.

Daegu, once the country’s epicenter of the novel coronavirus, represents the majority of the country’s total cases, accounting for 64.6 percent.

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