South Korea on Thursday reported another daily record of 1,842 coronavirus cases, as it struggles to tame its worst-ever wave of outbreaks amid rising infections nationwide fueled by the more contagious delta variant.
The latest numbers include 270 sailors on an anti-piracy navy destroyer patrolling the waters off Africa who were flown home on Tuesday after being infected with Covid-19.
Authorities are considering expanding the restrictions imposed for the capital Seoul and neighboring areas last week, as small clusters continue to emerge nationwide.
Some 64.3% of the 1,533 domestically transmitted cases came from regions beyond the greater Seoul area, the highest level since the country's first Covid-19 wave erupted from a church in the southeastern city of Daegu.
The numbers for the Seoul metropolitan area have slightly dropped from more than 80% following restrictions such as a ban on gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m.
South Korea's total infections rose to 184,103 cases with 2,063 deaths, KDCA data showed.