SEOUL • South Korea reported 103 new coronavirus cases yesterday, nearly twice as many as the day before, raising the spectre of a new wave of infections that could undermine its fine-tuned and much-touted handling of the pandemic.
The situation is creating alarm as the transmission route is unknown for more than 13 per cent of the cases - low compared with many other Asian nations but more than double the rate of about 6 per cent in May, when there was an outbreak at Seoul nightclubs.
Health officials said the latest cases, mostly linked to church gatherings, may pose a greater challenge than the previous flare-up.
"We are now in a critical situation as local infections are rising every day amid the vacation season," said Dr Kwon Jun-wook, deputy director of the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
"We see signs that cases without symptoms or with mild symptoms, undetected for some time, may have been silently spreading."
The jump in cases comes as some of the most successful countries in containing the pathogen are now wrestling with sudden flare-ups - a grim reminder that the coronavirus will not be entirely stamped out without help from a vaccine.
If South Korea's latest outbreak worsens, it would be a setback in the global Covid-19 fight.
Bolstered by its success with rapid testing and contact tracing, the country has been held up as a model for democracies looking to manage the virus without having to resort to restrictive lockdowns.
Once the world's second hardest-hit nation, South Korea has one of the lowest infection and fatality rates among developed nations.
Of the 103 new cases yesterday, 85 were locally infected while 18 were imported, the KCDC said.
Most are linked to flare-ups at churches, schools and markets.
The spike follows a relaxation of social distancing rules, and ahead of a three-day holiday when many are expected to venture outdoors.
South Korea has in recent weeks allowed baseball and soccer fans in the stands, as well as visitors to public parks and museums.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said yesterday that the government may re-impose stricter rules in and around Seoul, and urged the public to follow prevention guidelines.
If the alert is raised, high-risk facilities such as clubs, pubs and karaoke bars will have to shut.
Churches and restaurants will need to require masks and maintain lists of people entering and leaving the facilities.
South Korea's virus prevention measures are producing a positive side effect, though.
The KCDC reported on Thursday that the country is seeing a sharp drop in other infectious diseases, aided by social distancing, handwashing and mask-wearing.
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