A man wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus, sweeps with a broom near Christmas decoration in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. SEOUL: South Korea reported more than 500 new COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day on Friday , a level not seen in nearly nine months, as a third wave of infections spreads nationwide and authorities scrambled to provide more hospital beds.
"The situation is extremely serious and acute, as all of the 17 metropolitan cities and provinces and especially all the 25 districts in Seoul are reporting new cases," Chung told a meeting on COVID-19 responses.on the capital Seoul and surrounding regions this week - restricting dining out, religious services and nightly entertainment. The move came only a month after similar restrictions were eased as a second wave of infections ebbed.
The portion of new cases reported in the greater Seoul area has fallen steadily from about 85 per cent early this month as the outbreak spread to other provinces such as South Gyeongsang and Gangwon. All 17 metropolitan cities and provinces reported new cases on Thursday for the first time in months.
The earlier waves quickly depleted hospital facilities, with the number of remaining beds for critical cases in the greater Seoul area, a metropolis of 26 million people, once plunging to near single digits.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
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