Virus fight at inflection point over cluster infections in greater Seoul SEOUL , June 9 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea is ratcheting up efforts to stem the further spread of the new coronavirus in the capital region amid concerns over a potential hike in new cases traced to cluster infections . The country added 38 new cases , including 35 local infections on Tuesday , raising the total caseload to 11 , 852 , according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( KCDC ) . It marked daily new cases of below 40 for the second straight day , and a slight decrease from 57 cases a day earlier and 51 on Saturday . All but two of the locally transmitted cases were reported from the Seoul metropolitan area . Students at Wonmook High School in Seoul ' s northeastern ward of Jungnang line up to get tested for the new coronavirus on June 8 , 2020 , as one of its students tested positive . ( Yonhap ) South Korea has been wrestling with multiple , sporadic cluster infections tied to religious gatherings , nightclubs and a logistics center in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan area after the country relaxed its social distancing scheme on May 6 . Infections traced to a warehouse run by e - commerce leader Coupang in Bucheon , just west of Seoul , reached 138 as of noon Monday . Those linked to small churches and religious sessions in the densely populated metropolitan area reached 86 . Virus cases linked to a door - to - door business retailer and sports - related facilities have emerged as new infection clusters , spawning concerns over further community spread in the metropolitan area . COVID - 19 cases tied to a door - to - door business establishment reached 52 as of noon Monday . Those linked to a table tennis gym in southwestern Seoul came in at 41 . According to health authorities , at least nine cases have been traced to a shelter for Korean - Chinese people in western Seoul . Health officials remain on high alert , as such facilities for foreign migrants appear to be the blind spot in quarantine efforts . A health worker prepares to conduct new coronavirus tests on June 8 , 2020 , at a makeshift test site set up at a shelter for Korean - Chinese people in western Seoul . ( Yonhap ) The string of cluster infections in Seoul and nearby areas came as the country completed its phased reopening of schools Monday , giving the go - ahead for students to return to their classrooms . But concerns about cluster infections at schools linger , as hundreds of schools in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province have delayed their reopening due to virus cases . The country ' s eased social distancing scheme is in peril in the face of a steady rise in new cases . South Korea has decided to beef up quarantine measures in the Seoul metropolitan area , shutting down public facilities and regulating entertainment establishments until June 14 . The country , meanwhile , added three imported cases and reported one additional death , raising the total death toll to 274 . The fatality rate was 2 . 31 percent . The total number of people released from quarantine after full recoveries stood at 10 , 589 , up 26 from the previous day . The country has carried out 1 , 035 , 997 tests since Jan . 3 . sooyeon @ yna . co . kr ( END )