New COVID-19 cases below 6,000 for 1st time in 4 days; critical cases hit fresh high
A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample from a person undergoing a COVID-19 test at a makeshift testing center in Seoul, Dec. 24. Yonhap
New COVID-19 cases fell below 6,000 for the first time in four days Friday, apparently as a result of antivirus restrictions, but critical cases surged to another record high.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 5,842 more infections, including 5,767 local ones, bringing the cumulative total to 602,051.
Friday's tally is sharply down from the 6,233 cases Thursday and 6,917 Wednesday.
The number of critically ill patients, however, reached a fresh high of 1,105, the KDCA said, breaking the previous record high of 1,084 tallied Thursday.
The country added 105 more deaths from COVID-19, the second-highest daily death toll behind 109 Thursday, raising the total to 5,176 for a fatality rate of 0.86 percent.
The KDCA also reported 81 new Omicron variant cases, with 42 coming from overseas, bringing the total to 343.
The government has been urging people to get booster shots, especially senior citizens, to better protect themselves from COVID-19.
As of Saturday, 85.6 percent of the country's 52 million people had received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines, and 82.4 percent had been fully vaccinated, while 29.4 percent had been given boosters, the KDCA said.
The administrations has been enforcing stricter virus restrictions across the country since last weekend, to stem the spread of the virus.
Under reintroduced measures, which will remain in effect until Jan. 2, the maximum size of private gatherings is limited to four people nationwide, from the previous limit of six in the capital area and eight elsewhere.
A 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. curfew is applied to businesses as well, depending on the type of service offered.
The authorities are also focusing on securing hospital beds as the number of critically-ill COVID-19 patients continues to grow.
Of the locally transmitted cases confirmed for Friday, 2,091 were reported in Seoul and 1,663 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province. Incheon, just west of Seoul, registered 398.
There were 75 cases from overseas, raising the total imported cases to 16,745. (Yonhap)