SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has confirmed 1,615 new COVID-19 patients, a new domestic record for daily cases, as authorities struggle to curb a viral resurgence that has placed its capital region under the toughest distancing rules.

The newly reported cases Wednesday took the country’s total to 171,911 with 2,048 deaths.

Senior health official Lee Ki-Il told reporters 1,179 of the new cases came from the Seoul metropolitan area, marking the first time the capital region surpassed 1,000 daily cases since the pandemic began.

Lee says the recently enforced stringent distancing rules need at least a week to display effects. He urges the public to refrain from travelling or attending nonessential gatherings and stay at home until next week.

Private gatherings of three or more people after 6 p.m. were banned in the Seoul area as of Monday. Nightclubs and other high-risk nightlife facilities have also been ordered to shut down for two weeks.