New cases below 170,000 for 2nd day; COVID-19 deaths at all-time high
People wait in line to undergo a COVID-19 test at a testing site set up at a public health center in Seoul, Feb. 24. Reuters-Yonhap
South Korea's daily COVID-19 infections stayed below 170,000 for the second straight day Friday, but the daily death count hit an all-time high amid the continued rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 166,209 new cases, including 166,068 local ones, raising the total caseload to 2,831,283.
The tally slightly rose from the 165,890 reported Thursday. Daily infections exceeded the 100,000 mark for the first time last week and hit a record high of 171,442, Tuesday.
The surge in virus cases raised the number of COVID-19 deaths and critically ill patients.
The country added 112 more COVID-19 deaths, the most ever, for an overall toll of 7,895 and a fatality rate of 0.28 percent, according to the KDCA.
The number of seriously ill patients came to 643, down from the previous day's 655.
The government said the current wave is expected to peak at some 250,000 daily cases in mid-March as the highly contagious Omicron variant rages across the nation.
The health authorities said they will focus on dealing with serious cases and preventing deaths in a bid to better deal with the Omicron wave under the current medical system as the strain has milder severity than other variants.
Instead of rigorous contact tracing, the government has opted for enhanced treatment at home and more use of rapid antigen self-testing kits.
As of the midnight, 31 million people, or 60.9 percent of the country's 52 million population, had received booster shots. The number of fully vaccinated people came to 44.3 million, accounting for 86.4 percent, according to the KDCA. (Yonhap)