(3rd LD) Daily virus cases top 5,000, critical cases hit record high amid new variant woes

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SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases topped 5,000 for the first time Wednesday and the number of critically ill patients hit a fresh high amid concerns over the global spread of the new virus variant.

The country reported 5,123 new COVID-19 cases, including 5,075 local infections, raising the total caseload to 452,350, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The country's previous highest daily number of cases was 4,115 on Nov. 24.

South Korea added 34 more deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday, raising the death toll to 3,658. The fatality rate stood at 0.81 percent, up from 0.78 percent reported a month earlier.

Critically ill patients also reached an all-time high of 723, marking the first time the number breached the 700 mark. The previous daily record was 661 reported Tuesday.

Of the total, 610 of them are aged 60 or over, accounting for 84.4 percent, followed by 66 in their 50s and 25 in their 40s, the KDCA said.

The emerging omicron variant across the globe has put South Korea on high alert. On Tuesday, the first suspected case of the omicron coronavirus variant was detected in the country, but health authorities said further tests were required.

The KDCA said the results of the genetic sequencing tests will be released later in the day.

The authorities also said they are mulling over whether to do genetic sequencing tests on all entrants from overseas.

Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol told a pan-government meeting on the virus response that the government is mulling over additional measures after the government decided to halt the further easing of social distancing rules

The minister also said the authorities will come up with measures to secure more hospital beds, at least an additional 1,300 by the middle of this month.

The KDCA earlier said the pandemic risk level, a new five-tier assessment system introduced last week to evaluate the degree of COVID-19 risk, has reached the highest level in the country's capital area.

Health officials said it has become impossible to move on to the second phase of the country's "living with COVID-19" scheme that began last month for a gradual return to normal life.

South Korea had originally planned to further relax the virus curbs in mid-December after four weeks of the first phase.

Of the locally transmitted cases, Seoul reported 2,212 new cases, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province posted 1,576 more cases and the western port city of Incheon with 322 cases.

The daily cases reported in the wider Seoul area also reached an all-time high.

The number of cases from overseas came to 48, raising the total to 15,771.

A total of 42.57 million people, or 82.9 percent of the country's population, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines, and 41.06 million people, or 79.9 percent, have been fully vaccinated.

About 3.22 million people have received a booster shot, according to the KDCA.

khj@yna.co.kr
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