Daily virus cases stay below 4,000 for 2nd straight day amid tighter antivirus curbs
Health workers wearing protective gear prepare for public testing at a temporary COVID-19 screening clinic in Seoul, Dec. 31. AP-Yonhap
Daily COVID-19 infections stayed below 4,000 for the second straight day Sunday after the government extended the enforcement of its tighter social distancing measures for two more weeks to stem a surge in cases amid the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 3,129 new cases, including 2,993 local ones, raising the total caseload to 642,207.
This marked the second straight day that daily cases fell below 4,000 following 3,833 infections reported for Saturday.
The KDCA also recorded 36 more COVID-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 5,730.
The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients came to 1,015, down nine from a day earlier. Critical cases have stayed above 1,000 for 14 consecutive days, with their all-time high hitting 1,151, Wednesday.
Weekend infection figures are usually lower than those on weekdays in part due to less testing, but the pace of the spread of the virus appears to be slowing slightly after the government reinforced tighter social distancing curbs.
In early November, the government eased long-enforced restrictions on private gatherings and business operations as part of efforts to return to normalcy in phases under the "Living with COVID-19" strategy.
The daily cases, however, soared to a record high of 7,848, Dec. 15, prompting the government to re-impose antivirus regulations days later for two weeks.
The restrictions were originally supposed to end Sunday but the government has extended their enforcement, including a four-person cap on private gatherings nationwide and a 9 p.m. business hour curfew on cafes and restaurants, for two more weeks through Jan. 16. (Yonhap)