South Korea has 56 new COVID cases amid resurgence

Women take a selfie at a park in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, June 11, 2020. Just weeks ago South Korea was celebrating its hard-won gains against the coronavirus. It was easing social distancing measures, reopening schools and promoting its tech-driven methods of fighting the spread of the virus. But the country’s success story is being threatened by a resurgence of infections in the area around Seoul where half of South Korea’s 51 million people live. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is reporting 56 new cases of COVID-19 as the country continues to see a resurgence of the virus concentrated in the capital area.

Figures released by South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday brought national totals to 12,003 cases and 277 deaths. It says 10,699 people have so far been released from hospitals after recovery, but 1,057 others remain in treatment.

At least 45 of the new cases were reported from the Seoul metropolitan area, where about half of South Korea’s 51 million people live. Health officials have struggled to track transmissions linked to entertainment and leisure activities, church gatherings and low-income workers who couldn’t afford to stay home.