SEOUL, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Sentiment among South Korean businesses over economic situation worsened in July due to the resurgence of the COVID-19 outbreak, the country's central bank data showed Friday.
The business sentiment index (BSI) fell 1 point over the month to 87 in July, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). It marked the first decline in five months since March.
The worsened sentiment came as the country was faced with the fourth wave of COVID-19 outbreaks.
In the latest tally, South Korea reported 1,710 more cases of COVID-19 for the past 24 hours, lifting the total number of infections to 196,806. The daily caseload stayed above 1,000 for 24 straight days.
The BSI among manufacturers shrank 1 point from a month earlier to 97 in July, and the index for non-manufacturers diminished 2 points to 79.
The index was based on a survey of 1,642 manufacturers and 1,162 non-manufacturers conducted from July 15 to July 22. The reading below 100 indicates pessimists outnumbering optimists. Enditem