S. KOREA ADDS MORE THAN 700 CASES

[Anchor Lead]

South Korea has added more than 700 new COVID-19 infections for the fourth straight day. The surge is particularly obvious among younger adults in their 20s living in the greater capital.The government is pledging to sternly deal with those who violate anti-virus rules.

[Pkg]

South Korea has added over 700 new COVID-19 infections for the fourth consecutive day. The nation reported 746 new cases as of midnight on Tuesday, local time. The greater capital area accounted for more than 80 percent of the new cases, with 313 patients coming from Seoul and 224 from Gyeonggi-do Province. The daily tally stood at an average of 655 last week. The figure is up 33 percent from a week earlier. In particular, the number of COVID-19 patients in their 20s surged in Seoul. A total of 628 people in the age group tested positive in the last week. It is more than double the figure recorded the previous week.

[Soundbite] Jeong Eun-kyeong(KDCA Director) : "Those in their 20s and 30s get tested later, since they are asymptomatic or show mild symptoms. There is a higher risk of transmission in the age group, because of the low vaccination rate paired with more movement and more close contact with others."

So far, 416 people were confirmed to be infected with the more transmissible Delta variant. As an effort to follow the spread of the variant virus more accurately, health authorities will analyze the virus from 25 percent of COVID-19 patients in the greater capital area. That will be a 10% hike of the sample size from the current 15 percent. While operating a special quarantine period until July 14, the government will conduct on-site inspections on high-risk facilities in the greater capital area. Individuals and facilities that are found to have violated anti-virus regulations, will be excluded from receiving the Covid-19 relief grants. Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province last week postponed their earlier plans to ease social distancing rules. On Wednesday, the government will announce its decision on whether or not to raise the social distancing level.