Anchor: The number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded the daily tally of 300 yet again as the nation started enforcing Level Two social distancing regulations for the greater Seoul area. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun says the government will concentrate all efforts on curbing the spread of the virus.
Park Jong-hong has this report.

Report: South Korea reported 349 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, again climbing past the 300 threshold.

The Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said that the new cases raised the country's accumulated tally to 31-thousand-353.

Of the new cases detected throughout Monday, 320 were local transmissions, while 29 were imported.

The daily figure jumped by 78 from the previous day, just a day after it fell below 300 for the first time in six days. 

Of the 320 local cases, 217 came from the capital region with 132 in Seoul, 69 in Gyeonggi Province and 16 in Incheon. 

These developments came just as the country began enforcing tougher social distancing regulations for the greater Seoul area and the southeastern region. 

The government said Level Two distancing, the third-highest level in the country's five-tier alert system, is being applied in the capital region while the Jeolla provinces are under Level One-point-Five distancing for the next two weeks starting Tuesday. 

Under Level Two, high-risk facilities, including nightclubs and bars, have to suspend their business. Restaurants are allowed to provide dine-in service until 9 p.m., with only takeout and delivery available afterward. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun ordered the Cabinet to concentrate all-out efforts on combating COVID-19 ahead of the College Scholastic Ability Test(CSAT) on December 3.

At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Chung said proceeding with the annual exam safely through public cooperation will be the litmus test for overcoming the crisis.

The prime minister urged the public sector to encourage employees to work from home and to avoid face-to-face gatherings.
Park Jong-hong KBS World Radio News