코로나19 어제 686명 신규확진…2월말 후 최다, 역대 2번째 규모

South Korea saw its second highest ever number of new daily COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, with close to 700 cases recorded in a single 24 hour period.
Fearing the worst is yet to come, health authorities are urging the public to cancel all year-end gatherings.
Han Seong-woo reports.
South Korea on Wednesday added 686 new COVID-19 cases, the second highest daily tally it has ever recorded.
The only time there were more infections in the country was back on February 29th when the mass outbreak in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province led to 909 cases in a single day.
662 of Wednesday's new cases were locally transmitted with over 500 of those coming from Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi-do Province...
It is the first time the capital region has seen more than 500 infections in one day.
These include extra cases stemming from cluster infections at card-playing pubs in Itaewon, a marketplace in Seoul's Jung-gu District, singing classes in Jongno-gu District and nursing homes across the region.
"We believe social distancing isn't showing its full effects due to widespread asymptomatic and latent infections."
Level two-point-five social distancing measures for the capital area and level 2 for other regions have been in place since Tuesday... but with numbers still increasing, the government could consider raising the measures to level 3.
Out of all the people being tested, the proportion of positive cases reported on Wednesday fell to two-point-one-five percent from close to five percent the day before.
The number of critically ill patients has increased by fifteen to 149 and there have been four more fatalities, bringing the death toll to 556.
Han Seong-woo, Arirang News.