Daily virus cases stay below 4,000 for 2nd day despite Omicron fears
Visitors wearing face masks to help curb the spread of COVID-19 at Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, Jan. 7. AP-Yonhap
New daily COVID-19 infections stayed below 4,000 for the second day Friday as the country maintained tightened distancing curbs amid persistent worries over a resurgence in infections and the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 3,510 new cases, including 3,300 local ones, raising the total caseload to 661,015.
It marked a slight drop from 3,717 posted for Thursday and the 4,443 tallied Wednesday.
The KDCA added 54 more deaths ― higher than the previous day's 45 ― raising the toll to 5,986 for a fatality rate of 0.91 percent.
The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients stood at 838, staying below 1,000 for five consecutive days.
In early November, the government eased antivirus restrictions as part of efforts to return to normalcy in phases under its "Living with COVID-19" strategy.
Daily cases, however, soared to a record high of 7,848, Dec. 15, prompting the government to re-impose a set of revised virus restrictions until Jan. 2, later extended to Jan. 16.
The restrictions include a four-person cap on private gatherings nationwide and a 9 p.m. business hour curfew on cafes and restaurants.
The administration plans to bring in antiviral COVID-19 treatment pills next week, vowing to make sure they are administered as swiftly as possible where necessary.
According to the KDCA, 42.9 million people, or 83.7 percent of the country's 52 million population, have been fully vaccinated, and 20 million, or 40.2 percent, have received booster shots.
The number of cases from overseas, including South Korean nationals, came to 210 ― raising the total to 18,666 ― with the United States accounting for 100, and the Philippines, 16.
Among the locally transmitted cases, Seoul accounted for 933, while 1,168 came from the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and 193 from Incheon, west of the capital. (Yonhap)