New infections over 2,400 for 2nd day amid eased virus curbs

People wait to receive COVID-19 vaccine shots at a gym on Jeju Island, Nov. 8. Yonhap

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed above 2,400 for the second consecutive day Thursday as the country relaxed its virus restrictions last week in line with the "Living with COVID-19" scheme.

The country reported 2,520 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total caseload to 388,351, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

Thursday's tally marked a slight hike from the previous day's 2,425, which marked the first time in six days that daily infections exceeded 2,400.

The daily infection tally has stayed in the quadruple digits since July 7, including the record high of 3,272 cases on Sept. 25.

Of the total, 2,494 were local infections, the KDCA said. Twenty-six cases came from overseas, putting the cumulative total at 15,328.

Of the locally transmitted cases, Seoul had 999 cases, with the surrounding Gyeonggi Province logging 816 cases and Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, 186 cases.

The death toll rose by 21 to 3,033 on Thursday, health authorities said. The fatality rate came to 0.78 percent.

The number of patients in serious or critical condition came to 473, up 13 from the previous day.

The health authorities warned there could be more cluster infections under the eased social distancing scheme meant to bring the country gradually back to pre-pandemic normalcy.

On Nov. 1, the government began its living with COVID-19 policy as part of a broader plan to lift the virus restrictions by the end of February.

Under the first of the three-phase scheme, people are allowed to gather in groups of up to 10, regardless of vaccinations. Still, basic preventive measures like wearing masks indoors remain in effect.

Operation hour curfews for businesses that cover restaurants, cafes and movie theaters are fully lifted, except for entertainment facilities.

High-risk facilities, such as bars and nightclubs, have introduced a "vaccine pass" system that requires visitors to be fully vaccinated or have a negative test result.

As of Thursday, 41.76 million people, or 81.3 percent of the country's 52 million population, had received their first COVID-19 vaccine shots. The number of fully vaccinated people came to 39.73 million, or 77.4 percent.

The health authorities predict full vaccination rates to reach 80 percent around mid-December. (Yonhap)

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