Fewer sick in S Korea, infections rise in Japan

South Korea on Sunday reported eight more cases of the coronavirus, the first time a daily increase has dropped to a single digit in about two months.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the additional figures took the country's total to 10,661 with 234 deaths.

It said 8,042 people have recovered and been released from quarantine and 12,243 others were undergoing tests to determine whether they contracted the virus.

"We must not loosen our guard until the last confirmed patient is recovered," President Moon Jae-in said.

South Korea's caseload has been waning in recent weeks since it recorded hundreds of new cases every day between late February and early March, mostly in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby areas.

Despite the recent downward trend, South Korean officials have warned about the possibility of a broader quiet spread with people easing up on social distancing.

Moon urged South Koreans to support his government in saving jobs and revitalizing the economy.

Government efforts alone aren't enough amid a grave world economic crisis. Public solidarity and cooperation is also needed to revive our economy, he said.