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| People enjoy a jazz performance at Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital in the administrative city of Sejong, Nov. 12. Yonhap |
New COVID-19 infections stayed above 2,000 for the fourth consecutive day Friday, amid concerns over a growing number of serious cases following eased virus restrictions.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 2,325 new cases, raising the total caseload to 393,042.
The daily caseload has stayed in the quadruple digits since July 7, including a record high of 3,272 cases, Sept. 25.
Of the total, 2,311 were local infections; while 14 came from overseas, bringing the total of these cases to 15,352, the KDCA said.
The country added 32 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the toll to 3,083 for a fatality rate of 0.78 percent.
The number of patients in critical condition hit a record high of 485 after jumping to over 400 last Saturday for the first time since the end of August, the health agency said.
Additionally, about half of the new COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks were breakthrough infections ― positive cases among fully vaccinated people.
There have been growing concerns over a further uptick in the daily caseload and serious cases after the government began easing social distancing measures this month in the first of its three-phase "Living with COVID-19" plan for a gradual return to normalcy.
Under the first phase, people are allowed to gather in groups of up to 10, regardless of vaccinations. Operating hour curfews for restaurants, cafes and movie theaters have been fully lifted, but not those for adult entertainment facilities, such as clubs and bars.
But the health authorities said the country is not likely to move to the second phase of "Living with COVID-19" if the current trend continues.
As of Saturday, 41.83 million people, or 81.6 percent of the country's 52 million population, had received their first COVID-19 vaccine shots since February, when the country began its inoculation campaign. The number of fully vaccinated people has reached 39.99 million, or 77.9 percent, according to the KDCA.
It expects full vaccination rates to reach 80 percent around mid-December. (Yonhap)
