South Korea's new daily COVID-19 cases rose above 7,000 for the first time, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on Wednesday, putting hospital capacity under strain as deaths and severe cases rise.
Infections in South Korea have skyrocketed this month after the government began to ease restrictions under a so-called "The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 7,175 new coronavirus cases and 63 deaths for Tuesday, and hospitals are treating a record 840 critical and serious cases.
Kim urged the elderly to get booster shots as over 35% of infections were found in people aged 60 and above, who account for 84% of severe cases. He also urged adolescents to get vaccinated.With 80% of cases in greater Seoul, authorities have struggled to secure enough beds for hospitalised patients in the area.
South Korea imposed stricter measures on Monday, including reduced numbers of people allowed at private gatherings and expanding vaccine pass mandates. The country has so far reported a total of 489,484 COVID-19 cases, with 4,020 deaths. It has fully vaccinated 91.8% of its adult population aged 18 and above, KDCA data showed.Reporting by Sangmi Cha; Editing by Sam Holmes and Stephen CoatesSubscribe for our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox.