South Korea on Saturday reported 30 more cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,480.

South Korea has now recorded six days in a row of the number of new cases being around 50 or fewer, a sharp drop from the Feb. 29 peak of 909 new cases, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). But health authorities remain on high alert over cluster infections at churches and hospitals, as well as new cases coming from overseas.

The nation's death toll from the new coronavirus, which emerged in China late last year, rose by three to 211, according to the KCDC.

The number of patients released from quarantine after full recovery reached 7,243, up 126 from a day earlier.

The southeastern city of Daegu, the nation's worst virus-hit region, added seven new cases, just one day after the city reported no additional cases for the first time in 52 days. Its surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reported three new cases.

The total number of cases reported in Daegu and the surrounding North Gyeongsang Province reached 6,814 and 1,330, respectively.

Other major provinces and cities also reported infections, with Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province adding four and nine new cases, respectively.

The country also detected six new cases coming from overseas at border checkpoints, raising the country's total number of imported cases to 886.

Since April 1, South Korea has been enforcing a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for all travelers coming from overseas to better contain imported cases.

Seeking to reduce the daily number of new infections to below 50, South Korea has extended strict guidelines on social distancing by two weeks to April 19. (Yonhap)