(2nd LD) S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases spike to over 600,000 amid omicron spread

All News 13:49 March 17, 2022

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SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new daily COVID-19 cases spiked to more than 600,000 on Thursday, setting another record high, fueled by the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant amid an easing of virus curbs.

The country reported 621,328 new COVID-19 infections, including 62 cases from overseas, raising the total to 8,250,592, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

The latest tally marks a 55 percent surge in just one day. South Korea has seen a spike in the caseload since it reported the first five-digit figures in late January of this year. Since then, the numbers have grown fast, surpassing 300,000 on March 9.

The death toll from COVID-19 more than doubled to a record high of 429, putting the total at 11,481. The fatality rate stood at 0.14 percent.

The number of critically ill patients, seen as a key indicator in the pandemic response, came to 1,159, down from 1,244 the previous day.

Officials at Songpa Ward in eastern Seoul check a graph on new COVID-19 infection cases, which surpassed 600,000 on March 17, 2022. (Yonhap)

"We believe the increase came as we began to accept the test kit results from local clinics as confirmed positive, and a substantial number of cases that had been hidden or omitted were added," Sohn Young-rae, a senior health ministry official, told reporters.

On the spike in the death toll, Sohn noted it's difficult to draw a line between the deaths by omicron and those by underlying diseases. About half of the deceased already had underlying illnesses when they were infected with COVID-19, he said.

Despite the high daily tally, Sohn reaffirmed the government's forecast of reaching the peak between this week and next week.

South Korea has been taking steps to ease virus restrictions to regain normalcy despite the virus surge, due largely to the pressure from small businesses and self-employed people hit hard by the pandemic.

The government is expected to announce Friday whether it will maintain the current social distancing or further relax the measures. Currently, an 11 p.m. business curfew and a six-person cap on private gatherings are in place.

Health authorities believe the omicron wave is heading for its peak. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum has asked health officials to consider adjusting the classification for COVID-19 to a less dangerous type.

Seoul reported 128,375 cases, with the surrounding Gyeonggi Province registering 181,983 and the western port city of Incheon at 32,964.

As of Thursday, 32.21 million people out of the 52 million population, or 62.8 percent, had received booster shots. Fully vaccinated people came to 44.44 million, representing 86.6 percent, the KDCA said.