S.Korea has reported new COVID-19 cases for the third time in a row – KDCA Reuters

By Joyce Lee

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea has released the highest number of new COVID-19 infections per day in the last 24 hours, the Korean Agency for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday, the third day in a row in new cases of infection.

Starting Monday, coronavirus strains will be tightened to the strictest possible level for the first time in Seoul and surrounding regions, South Korea said on Friday, with records of new cases worrying.

The country reported 1,378 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight on Friday, with 1,316 registered per day on Thursday.

South Korea has so far outperformed industrialized countries in infections and deaths, with a death rate of 1.22% and the number of serious cases from 148 since Friday, which is much lower than the previous peak at the end of December.

However, the upward trend has warned that the number of new cases could almost double by the end of July.

This has led to tougher restrictions on the government, advising people to stay at home as long as possible, and meetings for two people from 6pm onwards before 4pm.

About 11% of South Korea’s 52 million population has completed the vaccine, having received two shots for vaccines requiring two doses, and 30% have received a single dose, the KDCA said in a statement.

The country wants the herd to be immune before November by inoculating 70% of the population with at least one shot by September.

There are a total of 166,722 COVID-19 infections in South Korea, with 2,038 deaths.