New COVID-19 cases above 350,000 for 2nd day amid omicron wave
People wait in line to receive a COVID-19 test at a testing center in Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap
Korea's daily COVID-19 cases stayed above 350,000 for the second straight day Saturday as the country continues to grapple with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 350,190 new infections, including 350,157 local ones, raising the total caseload to 6,556,453.
The tally fell from an all-time high of 383,665, Friday, due largely to less testing on the weekend.
The Omicron variant is spreading at a breakneck speed as daily infections exceeded the 300,000 mark for the first time Tuesday, just a week after topping 200,000. Total cases also reached 6 million Friday, jumping from 5 million in just three days.
The surge in virus cases also pushed up the number of COVID-19 deaths and critically ill patients.
The country added 251 more deaths, raising the total to 10,395, according to the KDCA, for a fatality rate of 0.16 percent.
The number of seriously ill virus patients came to 1,074, up from the previous day's 1,066.
On Friday, the health authorities forecast the Omicron wave was likely to peak in the coming weeks, with a surge of up to 370,000.
In the face of a shortage of medical resources, the government has shifted its focus to treating serious cases and preventing deaths, ending its rigorous contact tracing program, the main method in containing the spread of the virus in the early stage of the pandemic.
It also increased the use of rapid antigen self-test kits and treatment at home to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.
Starting Monday, results from rapid antigen tests conducted by medical professionals will be accepted for officially confirming COVID-19 infections.
Also starting March 21, fully vaccinated South Koreans and foreign visitors from overseas do not need to be in self-quarantine for seven days, except for those from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Myanmar.
Of the locally transmitted cases reported, Gyeonggi Province added 91,469, Seoul reported 67,814, and Incheon saw 20,237. Cases from overseas went up 33 to 30,239.
The number of patients receiving at-home treatment hit another high of 1.57 million, up 135,789 from the previous day.
As of the midnight, 32.1 million people, or 62.6 percent of the country's 52 million population, had received booster shots. The number of fully vaccinated people came to 44.4 million, accounting for 86.6 percent, according to the KDCA. (Yonhap)