The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the capital is currently experiencing a second wave of COVID-19.
In a briefing Monday, KCDC chief Jung Eun-kyeong said the second wave in Seoul and the surrounding areas started after the long holiday weekend in early May.
She noted the first wave of infections started in February and March and lasted through the end of April.
Jung said the outbreak could get worse in the fall and winter and vowed to come up with long-term measures to prevent further community spread of the virus.
South Korea on Monday reported 17 new coronavirus cases.
Eleven of them were locally transmitted, mostly from the Seoul metro area, and six were imported from abroad, raising the total caseload to 12,438.
Despite it being the lowest daily number of cases in almost a month, mainly due to less testing over the weekend, health authorities are still concerned as infections in the capital have now spread to other cities such as Daejeon..
<Photo: Yonhap News>
