Anchor: As clusters of COVID-19 infections involving door-to-door sales companies, sports and religious facilities continue to expand, the daily increase has surpassed 50 again in less than a week.
Choi You Sun reports.
Report: New viruses cases are at a three-week high as clusters are found beyond the Seoul metro area.
The central quarantine countermeasures headquarters said as of 12:00 a.m. Thursday, there were 59 additional COVID-19 infections in the country, bringing the total to 12-thousand-257.
It's the first time in six days the daily increase has surpassed 50, the government's maximum standard for maintaining "everyday life quarantine."
Out of 59 newly infected, 51 were community infections, 39 of which were from the capital region.
The latest surge of infections is largely linked to a door-to-door sales company in Seoul's southwestern Gwanak district and a table tennis gym in the western Yangcheon district.
Dozens of cases were also reported from a community nursing facility in Seoul's northern Dobong district.
Outside of clusters in the Seoul metropolitan area and Daejeon, sporadic infections are occurring in Daegu, Sejong, South Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces.
In the central city of Daejeon, another dozen or so cases have been reported since Monday, in connection to a church and a door-to-door sales business.
Health authorities said they have launched epidemiological surveys in Daejeon in cooperation with the local government.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.