S Korea has 18 new virus cases fuelled by clubs

South Korea has reported 18 fresh cases of the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours, including 12 in the capital of Seoul, as health workers scramble to trace contacts after detecting a slew of transmissions linked to clubgoers.

Figures released by South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday brought national totals to 10,840 cases and 256 deaths.

While the KCDC didn't immediately release specific details, most of the new cases were likely linked to the nightclubs in Seoul's Itaewon leisure district, which was brought to a sudden standstill Friday night following reports of the transmissions.

Officials on Friday said they detected at least 15 infections linked to a 29-year-old man who visited three Itaewon clubs on Saturday before testing positive on Wednesday.

The infections raised concern about a broader spread of the virus in the Seoul metropolitan area, where about half of South Korea's 51 million people live.

South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun in a virus meeting on Saturday said the government will employ all available resources to find and isolate virus carriers. Officials have also issued a month-long administrative order advising nightclubs, hostess bars and other similar facilities nationwide to close.

Fewer cases in previous weeks had allowed officials to relax social distancing guidelines and schedule a phased reopening of schools, starting with high school seniors returning next Wednesday.