Daily cases over 4,000 for 4th day amid extended virus curbs

Daily COVID-19 infections stayed above 4,000 for the fourth consecutive day Friday, as the health authorities maintained tight vigilance with the extension of strict social distancing measures for three more weeks.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 4,423 new cases, including 4,077 local ones, raising the total caseload to 687,984.

Twenty-two more deaths were also recorded, raising the death toll to 6,281, with a fatality rate of 0.91 percent, according to the health authorities, which also reported 626 critically ill patients.

The number of imported cases was tallied at 346, down from a daily high of 409 reported Friday.

The health authorities have been on high alert as concerns persist over a possible resurgence of the virus due to the fast spread of the Omicron variant ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday later this month.

The government has decided to maintain a 9 p.m. curfew on restaurants and cafes while raising the limit on the size of private gatherings to six from the current four. The revised rules will be in place from Monday through Feb. 6.

To fend off imported cases, the health authorities decided to ban all entrants' use of public transportation upon arrival and tighten rules on the proof of negative COVID-19 test results. These measures will go into effect Thursday.

On Friday, the government began administering U.S. drug giant Pfizer Inc.'s Paxlovid antiviral COVID-19 treatment pills, a day after the first batch for 21,000 people arrived in South Korea.

Patients with a compromised immune system and those aged over 65 are on the priority list, the KDCA said.

The government has secured medication for 762,000 people, alongside oral pills made by U.S. drugmaker MSD for 242,000 people. The second batch of Paxlovid for 10,000 people will be shipped by the end of this month.

Of the new domestic cases, 1,761 cases were reported in Gyeonggi Province surrounding Seoul, 823 in the capital, 221 in the western port city of Incheon, 205 in the southwestern city of Gwangju and 151 in South Jeolla Province.

As of Saturday, 43.47 million people, or 84.7 percent of the country's 52 million population, have been fully vaccinated, and 23.02 million, or 44.9 percent, have received booster shots, the health authorities said. (Yonhap)