SEOUL, Jan 25 — South Korea’s daily count of new coronavirus cases topped 8,000 for the first time today, as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads rapidly despite the recent extension of strict social-distancing rules to slow infection.
South Korea reinstated tougher distancing curbs in December as record-breaking numbers of daily cases and critically ill patients threatened to saturate its medical system before the Omicron wave hit. Health officials said Omicron would likely account for more than 90 per cent of new infections within two to three weeks, while daily numbers could reach 20,000 to 30,000 or even higher.
As part of efforts to reserve medical capacity for the critically ill, the mandatory isolation period for vaccinated patients will be reduced from the current 10 days to seven starting tomorrow.
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