Energy science and engineering, University in Seoul, South Korea

South Korea's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic hit another snag on Tuesday as church-linked cluster infections in the Seoul metropolitan area continued to rise ahead of further school reopenings.The country reported 38 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 11,541, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).All of the new domestic cases were reported in Seoul and Incheon, west of the capital, and Gyeonggi province that surrounds the capital city, reports Yonhap News Agency.A string of virus cases traced to churches in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area have emerged as a new source of concerns as the country is still wrestling with infections tied to nightclubs and a distribution center in the greater Seoul area.But the daily number of new infections appears to be on a downward trend after it hit a nearly two-month high of 75 on May 28 amid spiking cases tied to the logistics centre west of Seoul.At least 40 cases have been traced to churches in Incheon and Gyeonggi province, according to the KCDC and local governments."Large-scale infections are feared to come in the Seoul metropolitan area, but we can succeed in containing the virus spread when citizens raise their guards against the pandemic to break the chain of virus transmissions," Yonhap News Agency quoted Sohn Young-rae, a senior health official, as saying in a briefing.The sporadic cluster infections were putting health authorities to the test as some 1.8 million students will return to school on Wednesday as part of the third phase of school reopenings after high school seniors became the first group to do so on May 20.After 45 days of stricter social distancing, the country switched to the "everyday life quarantine" scheme in May, enabling citizens to carry out social and economic activities under quarantine rules.The country's death toll currently stands at 272.( With inputs from IANS )

Energy Science And EngineeringFOLLOW

Energy science and engineering, Latest News

With the final batch of students returning to classes on Monday, South Korea completed its phased school reopening scheme ... ...

Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of Samsung Group, South Korea's largest conglomerate, appeared in court on Monday for ... ...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has presided over a politburo meeting of the Workers' Party and discussed measures to ... ...

The South Korean government said on Sunday it remains committed toward upholding the agreements between the leaders of the ... ...

South Korea's annual Memorial Day service was a low-key event on Saturday as a precautionary measure against COVID-19 pandemic ... ...

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Executive Committee has agreed to ask organizers to reschedule the World Team Table ... ...

A senior North Korean official has threatened to scrap a military agreement with South Korea unless Seoul stops sending ... ...

South Korea's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic hit another snag on Tuesday as church-linked cluster infections in the Seoul ... ...