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Title:Yonhap-Daily cases over 4,000 for 5th day amid strict curbs ahead of holiday
Daily COVID-19 infections stayed above 4,000 for the fifth straight day Saturday as the health authorities remain 1) vigilant over a possible upsurge in cases and the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus ahead of the upcoming 2) Lunar New Year holiday.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 4,194 new infections, including 3,813 local ones, raising the total caseload to 692,174.
The figure was smaller than the previous day's 4,419 but marked the fifth consecutive day that the figure was above 4,000.
Twenty-nine more deaths were recorded, raising the 3) toll to 6,310, with a fatality rate of 0.91 percent, according to the health authorities.
Imported cases were tallied at 381, compared with a daily high of 409 reported Friday.
The number of critically ill patients stood at 612, down from the previous day's 626.
The daily cases are showing signs of staying relatively lower after reaching a daily peak of nearly 8,000 cases in mid-December, but the health authorities remain on alert over a potential upsurge in infections amid the spread of the Omicron variant.
Of particular concern is a possible 4) resurgence during the Lunar New Year holiday later this month when a large number of people tend to travel for family reunions.
To stave off a further increase in infections, the government plans to maintain a 9 p.m. curfew on restaurants and cafes while raising the limit on the size of private gatherings to six from the current four. The revised rules will be in place from Monday through Feb. 6.
Those restrictions were back in place after the government eased long-enforced antivirus restrictions in early November as part of efforts to return to normalcy in phases under its "Living with COVID-19" strategy.
Daily cases, however, soared to a record high of 7,848, Dec. 15, 5) prompting the government to re-impose a set of revised virus restrictions for two weeks, which were originally supposed to end Sunday.
With domestic cases still dominant, imported cases recently increased sharply, causing the government to ban all entrants' use of public transportation upon arrival and tighten rules on the proof of negative COVID-19 test results starting this Thursday.
Of the domestic cases reported for Saturday, 826 were confirmed in Seoul, 1,511 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and 235 in the western port city of Incheon.
A total of 43.5 million people, or 84.8 percent of the country's 52 million population, have been fully vaccinated, and 23.3 million, or 45.5 percent, have received booster shots, the health authorities said.
Published: 2022-01-06
Source: Yonhap
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<Word&Expression>
1) vigilant keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties
2) Lunar New Year holidays 음력 설 연휴
3) toll the number of deaths, casualties, or injuries arising from particular circumstances, such as a natural disaster, conflict, or accident.
4) resurgence an increase or revival after a period of little activity, popularity, or occurrence.
5) prompting cause or bring about
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