Record Daily Case Record Of COVID-19, South Korea Stops Quarantine Exceptions For Omicron Variant Weir

Illustration of COVID-19 in South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/Busan Metropolitan City)

JAKARTA - South Korea's daily number of coronavirus cases rose to a new high on Thursday, as authorities suspended quarantine exemptions for fully vaccinated travelers for two weeks, in a bid to fend off the Omicron variant.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 5,266 cases for Wednesday, a day after the daily tally rose above 5,000 for the first time, amid concerns over a sharp increase in patients with severe symptoms.

South Korea will require a 10-day quarantine for all inbound travelers for two weeks starting Friday, ending exemptions previously granted to people who were fully vaccinated, the KDCA said.

The move comes after South Korea confirmed its first five cases of the Omicron variant late Wednesday, including a fully vaccinated couple who arrived last week from Nigeria, followed by two family members and a friend of theirs.

The government restricted arrivals from eight countries including South Africa, where the variant was first identified. It will now add Nigeria to the list, effective Friday while suspending direct flights from Ethiopia from Saturday, KDCA said.

"We are on a bumpy road to a gradual normal recovery, and risks from the new Omicron variant are increasing," South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday, citing Reuters December 2.

So far, Ginseng Country has fully vaccinated nearly 92 percent of its adult population, with vaccination strategies now focusing on childhood vaccinations and booster programs. However, experts have warned that cases could continue to rise in part due to the spread of the potentially more infectious variant.

The number of cases has soared since distancing restrictions were relaxed last month, leading the government this week to suspend plans for further easing, due to increased strain on its health care system due to soaring hospitalization and death rates, as well as fears of an Omicron variant.

KDCA data showed the number of severe cases rose to a record 733, with 90 percent of intensive care unit beds in the greater Seoul area occupied, with 915 patients waiting to be admitted. Total cases of infection rose to 457,612, with 3,705 deaths.