Omicron drives daily virus caseload to over 20,000 for 2nd day

People get polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at Songpa-gu Community Health Center in Seoul, Thursday. Korea broke its single-day COVID-19 case record again Wednesday with infections topping 20,000 for the second day in a row, as holiday gatherings and travel fueled the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. Yonhap

Korea broke its single-day COVID-19 infection rate record again Wednesday with cases topping 20,000 for the second day in a row, as holiday gatherings and travel fueled the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 22,907 new infections, including 22,773 local ones, raising the total to 907,214.

The previous daily record was 20,270 reported for Tuesday.

The death toll from the disease came to 6,812, up 25 from a day earlier for a fatality rate of 0.75 percent.

Critical cases of COVID-19 were 274, down four from the previous day.

The health authorities have warned that the five-day Lunar New Year holiday, which ended Wednesday, could send virus cases to new heights in the weeks to come.

As Korea averaged 18,533 daily cases over the past week, the country enforced a new testing regime Thursday to more effectively deal with the Omicron-fueled COVID-19 wave and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.

Under the new system, only those who test positive in rapid antigen tests will be able to receive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in principle. People aged over 60 or in high-risk groups, such as those with underlying health conditions, will be prioritized for PCR tests.

Approximately 700 neighborhood clinics and respiratory hospitals begin to offer coronavirus tests and treatment for at-home care patients.

Of the locally transmitted cases, Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul reported 6,532, followed by the capital with 5,191 and the western port city of Incheon with 1,533. Cases from overseas rose 134 to 25,808.

As of Thursday, 27.26 million people, or 53 percent of the country's 52 million population, had received booster shots. The number of fully vaccinated people came to 43.99 million people, accounting for 85.7 percent. (Yonhap)