Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, March 17. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on the 17th that more than 600,000 new confirmed cases of the new crown were reported in South Korea the previous day, setting a new high in the more than two years since the outbreak of the epidemic in South Korea.
South Korea reported more than 621,000 new confirmed cases the day before, a 55% surge from the previous day’s data, and the cumulative number of confirmed cases exceeded 8.25 million. The number of existing severe cases, a key indicator of the outbreak response, was 1,159, down from the previous day’s high of 1,244. The number of daily deaths was 429, a new high, with a case fatality rate of 0.14%.
On March 16, medical staff samples samples from a new coronavirus testing site in Seoul, South Korea. Published by Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Li Sang-ho)
The spread of the mutated new coronavirus Omicron strain coupled with the relaxation of epidemic prevention measures, the number of confirmed new crown cases in South Korea has increased since this year After the first over 10,000 at the end of January, it climbed rapidly, exceeding 300,000 on the 9th and 400,000 on the 16th.
The health department believes that the epidemic caused by the spread of this wave of Omicron in South Korea is approaching its peak.
On March 16, people wearing masks walked on the streets of Seoul, South Korea. Xinhua| At present, the daily closing time of public gathering places such as cafes and restaurants is 23:00, and the maximum number of private gatherings is 6 people. The South Korean government is scheduled to announce on the 18th whether to maintain or further relax the current epidemic prevention policy.
As of the 17th, of South Korea’s 52 million population, 86.6% have completed the whole course of the new crown vaccine, and 62.8% have received booster doses. (Chen Dan)