Omicron wave expected to peak in mid-March with daily cases around 250,000: PM

People wait in line to undergo a COVID-19 test at a testing site set up at a public health center in Seoul, Feb. 24. Reuters-Yonhap

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Friday that the country is expected to see the peak of the Omicron wave of COVID-19 in mid-March with daily cases hovering around 250,000.

South Korea's daily virus infections surpassed the 100,000 level for the first time last week, and soared to a record high of 171,452, Tuesday, due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

"Some experts are saying that it may hit a peak faster than expected," Kim said during a COVID-19 response meeting in Seoul. "Although we do not know exactly when, it is certainly nearing the peak."

Kim earlier emphasized that people should not be scared over the number of new COVID-19 cases, stressing that the fatality rate and the number of critical patients are being managed stably, while data show the Omicron variant was less virulent.

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South Korea has moved onto an enhanced treatment at home system to focus its medical resources on seriously ill patients and those at high risk of infection amid soaring cases.

Starting Tuesday, Kim said that unvaccinated family members living together with virus patients won't have to go into isolation, and they will instead self-monitor, including taking virus tests periodically.

Previously, self-monitoring was applied to only those who had completed vaccination.

Kim said it was a "big burden" for the health authorities to manage each family member of virus patients.

"It is urgent to reduce the excessive burden on public health centers that are in the front line of the virus fight," Kim said. "To support them, we will send 3,000 public workers to each region, Monday. Also 1,000 military service members will be dispatched to assist." (Yonhap)

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