Coronavirus: South Korea battles third wave; Singapore reports first local case in two weeks

South Korea reported 583 new infections as the military imposed a 10-day ban on soldiers taking leave

Singapore saw its first locally transmitted Covid-19 case in nearly two weeks, while six members of Pakistan’s cricket squad in New Zealand tested positive

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People wearing face masks walk under a banner emphasising an enhanced social distancing campaign in front of Seoul City Hall, South Korea. Photo: AP

Published: 8:59am, 26 Nov 2020Updated: 10:42pm, 26 Nov 2020

South Korea reported 583 new coronavirus cases, the highest since March, as the country grapples with a third wave of infections, Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said on Thursday.

The daily tally exceeded 500 for the first time since March 6, when South Korea battled the first major Covid-19 epidemic outside China.

The first wave emerged from meetings of a religious sect but most of the latest cases are occurring in offices, schools, gyms and small gatherings in the wider community around the capital Seoul, making them harder to trace and contain.

The government reimposed tough social distancing rules on Seoul and surrounding regions this week after the daily numbers began hovering above 300 new coronavirus cases last week.

Meanwhile, the military ordered strict social distancing measures including a 10-day ban on soldiers taking leave, Yonhap reported on Thursday. The curbs came after more than 50 new Covid-19 cases were reported from a military training facility this week.

Thursday’s caseload is also above the peak in the country’s second wave of virus infections on August 27, when 441 cases were confirmed in a single day.