South Korea: Coronavirus breaks 100,000 barrier in last 24 hours

In South Korea, outbreaks of the new coronavirus have exceeded the 100,000 mark for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic two years ago, as the most contagious Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly.

The number of cases is expressed as fears that it will continue its upward course as the authorities relax the restrictive measures, extending for an hour the opening hours of cafes, restaurants and other shops until 22:00 from the weekend, to help mainly small and medium-sized commercial enterprises.

The Korea Office of Disease Control and Prevention (KCDA) announced that in the 24 hours to midnight Wednesday, 109,831 cases of SARS-CoV-2 were confirmed and 45 patients died due to complications of COVID-19.

The death toll from a new coronavirus pandemic in South Korea has risen to 7,283 dead from a total of 1,755,806 infections, according to the KCDA. The mortality rate fell to 0.41%.

The number of patients admitted to hospitals in a serious to critical condition decreased to 385 (-4 in 24 hours). It is the fifth consecutive day that remains over 300.

Experts and authorities warn that the cases could reach 170,000 a day during the month, while the State Research Institute estimates that they can reach up to 270,000 in mid-March, about seven weeks after Omicron became the dominant variant of the virus. in South Korea.

The country is holding presidential elections on March 9th.

However, the government assures that the number of patients with serious illnesses remains manageable so far.

86.3% of the approximately 52 million South Koreans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so far, while 58.6% have received a booster dose, according to KCDA figures.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ