KCDC says COVID-19 entering new phase, Korea confirms 31st case

정부 "코로나19 새 국면…역학적 관계없는 환자 늘어날 수 있어"

South Korea has reported another COVID-19 case today.
Health authorities say the virus entered a new phase, as the way in which the last three patients contracted the disease is unknown.
Meanwhile, it was confirmed a man who died earlier today after showing pneumonia-like symptoms tested negative for the virus.
Kim Mok-yeon has our top story.
South Korea confirmed one more coronavirus case on Tuesday, raising the total to 31.
The 31st patient is a 61-year-old South Korean woman who lives in the southern city of Daegu.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the patient had a fever and showed symptoms of pneumonia when she visited a local community health center on Monday.
She was quarantined at Daegu Medical Center and was tested for the virus twice with both results coming back positive.
Just like the past two confirmed patients, it's not clear as to how she was infected since she has no recent record of overseas travel, nor has she had any contact with the previous 30 patients.
Regarding this, the KCDC says the spread of the virus in Korea is entering a "new phase".
"The virus has now entered a new phase. New patients appear to have contracted the coronavirus without traveling abroad or coming into contact with other infected patients. There is a chance of additional similar cases being found."
The KCDC director stressed the need to tighten quarantine controls on arrivals from abroad alongside self-quarantine rules, and vowed to come up with countermeasures to prevent further spread.
Meanwhile, the health agency also confirmed that the death of a 38-year-old Korean man, who showed pneumonia-like symptoms, was not related to COVID-19.
Also on Tuesday, two more patients who made full recoveries have been released from quarantine, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 12 out of the total 31.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang news.

#COVID19 #KCDC #pneumonia

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