South Korea reported 81 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, but concerns remain that cluster transmission and imported cases continued to hit Seoul and the surrounding areas.

The country’s total cases reached 10,237 and the death toll rose by six to 183, with more than half of fatalities being patients aged 80 or older, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The number of patients who were recovered went up by 138, with the total standing at 6,463, the KCDC said.

Seoul and the surrounding areas witnessed 36 additional cases. The total number of confirmed cases in Seoul came in at 552.

The country decided to extend its social distancing drive for another two weeks until April 19, urging citizens to voluntarily keep their distance from others.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)