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A livestock facility in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, is closed after more than 50 of its employees tested positive for COVID-19. (Yonhap News)

South Korea reported 446 new cases of COVID-19 on March 9.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), 427 of the cases were domestic transmissions while the remaining 19 were imported from overseas. The country’s cumulative total is now 93,263.

The greater Seoul area accounted for 299 of the cases: 98 in Seoul, 181 in Gyeonggi Province and 20 in Incheon. The remaining 128 occurred throughout other parts of the country. Among the 19 cases from overseas, four were detected during airport screening procedures, and the remaining 15 were confirmed while patients were in quarantine. Eight of the overseas patients were foreign nationals, and 11 were South Korean nationals.

The number of patients undergoing treatment or in quarantine increased by 17 to 7,718. The number of patients in severe or critical condition remained the same at 128. The cumulative death toll increased by three to 1,645.

The KDCA also reported that 64,111 people received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Monday, increasing the total number of first dose receivers to 383,346.

Among the first dose receivers, 377,138 received the AstraZeneca vaccine, while the remaining 6,208 received Pfizer’s. A total of 4,851 cases of adverse reactions were reported, with 4,790 of those cases being mild and 48 severe. Thirteen people so far have died after receiving a vaccination, although no link has been established between the deaths and the vaccination.

By Seo Hye-mi, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]