People wait in line to take tests at a COVID-19 testing station in Seoul on Nov. 10, 2021, when the country reported 2,425 new cases. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s new coronavirus cases bounced back to above 2,400 for the first time in six days Wednesday amid growing concerns over a resurgence of infections as the country began its “living with COVID-19″ scheme last week.
The country reported 2,425 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 385,831, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Wednesday’s tally marked a sharp hike from 1,715 reported a day earlier.
The daily infection tally has stayed in the quadruple digits since July 7, including the record high of 3,272 cases on Sept. 25.
Of the total, 2,409 were local infections, the KDCA said. Sixteen cases came from overseas, putting the cumulative total at 15,302.
Of the locally transmitted cases, Seoul had 967 cases, with the surrounding Gyeonggi Province logging 863 cases and Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, 159 cases.
The death toll rose by 14 to 3,012 on Wednesday, health authorities said. The fatality rate came to 0.78 percent.
The number of patients in serious or critical condition came to 460, up 35 from the previous day.
Health officials attributed the increase in deaths and patients in serious condition to the decline in the “preventive effect” of vaccines amid the protracted pandemic.
“The number of daily confirmed cases remained in the 1,000s during the third wave of the pandemic and while new daily cases nearly doubled recently (during the fourth wave), the number of patients in serious condition and deaths did not double, and is similar to the third wave,” a senior health official said in a briefing.
Health workers take nasal swab samples from people at a makeshift COVID-19 testing facility in Seoul on Nov. 6, 2021. (Yonhap)
South Korea has been grappling with the fourth wave of the pandemic for more than three months.
The health authorities warned there could be more cluster infections under the eased social distancing scheme meant to bring the country gradually back to pre-pandemic normalcy.
Doctors and staff members at medical facilities who have not been vaccinated will be required to take polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests once a week, the health authorities said in a briefing.
Incoming patients will also need to take PCR tests before being hospitalized.
On Nov. 1, the government began its living with COVID-19 policy as part of a broader plan to lift the virus restrictions by the end of February.
Under the first of the three-phase scheme, people are allowed to gather in groups of up to 10, regardless of vaccinations. Still, basic preventive measures like wearing masks indoors remain in effect.
Operation hour curfews for businesses that cover restaurants, cafes and movie theaters are fully lifted, except for entertainment facilities.
High-risk facilities, such as bars and nightclubs, have introduced a “vaccine pass” system that requires visitors to be fully vaccinated or have a negative test result.
About 41.68 million people, or 81.2 percent of the country’s 52 million population, had received their first COVID-19 vaccine shots as of Wednesday. The number of fully vaccinated people came to 39.62 million, or 77.2 percent.
Health authorities predict full vaccination rates to reach 80 percent around mid-December.
The government is set to announce plans this weekend on launching a committee to investigate reported side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.
As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, health authorities and local governments, excluding that of Busan, had reported 2,140 more COVID-19 cases, up 76 from the same time Tuesday.
Daily cases are counted until midnight and announced the following morning. Busan stopped providing real-time data at the start of this month.
(Yonhap)
