Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit fresh high of 27,443 as Omicron surges
People wait for COVID-19 tests at a makeshift testing site in Seoul, Feb. 3. Korea's daily virus cases hit another all-time high Thursday with infections exceeding 27,000 for the first time amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus after the Lunar New Year holiday. AP-Yonhap
Daily COVID-19 infections hit yet another all-time high Thursday with cases exceeding 27,000 amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus after the Lunar New Year holiday.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 27,443 new infections, including 27,283 local ones, raising the overall total to 934,656.
The previous daily record was 22,907 reported for Wednesday.
The death toll from COVID-19 came to 6,836, up 24 from Thursday for a fatality rate of 0.73 percent; while the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients was 257, down 17.
The KDCA had warned that the five-day Lunar New Year holiday, which ended Wednesday, could send virus cases to new heights in the coming weeks.
Earlier in the day, the government decided to extend the current social distancing curbs for two more weeks through Feb. 20, during which private gatherings of more than six people will be banned and businesses are subject to a 9 p.m. curfew. (Yonhap)