South Korea Records Record COVID-19 Infections, Government Considers Semi-lockdown

Illustration of the atmosphere of COVID-19 in South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/Rickinasia)

JAKARTA - South Korea recorded a record daily infection case on Thursday 8 July, with 1,275 cases reported in the last 24 hours by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

Citing The Straits Times, this figure exceeds the daily number of cases reported at the height of the third wave of COVID-19 in the Ginseng Country in December 2020. The government is also considering implementing a semi-lockdown.

KDCA data showed that about 80 percent of the 1,275 locally transmitted cases were recorded in the Seoul area, including the capital, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon City, KDCA data showed.

Health authorities said Seoul would meet the criteria for implementing social distancing measures or Level 4 restrictions with three consecutive days the number of new cases was above 389, the daily average for the July 1-8 timeframe.

Given the city recorded 545 new cases on Wednesday and 577 on Tuesday, that requirement can be reached with Thursday's figures, to be announced on Friday.

"We are continuing to review the preventive response for the Seoul metropolitan area", South Korean Health Ministry official, Son Young-rae, was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.

With Level 4 restrictions, people are advised to stay home as long as possible, schools are closed, public gatherings are restricted to two, and demonstrations or other events are prohibited. Nightclubs and bars will be closed, while restaurants and cafes will be allowed limited seating and take-out only after 10 p.m., as quoted by Reuters.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, said the government would monitor the situation throughout the week and discuss the possibility of imposing higher restrictions on Seoul and other regions at a coronavirus response meeting on Sunday.

KDCA estimates the daily number of confirmed cases could reach around 1,400 by the end of this month, or surpass 2,000 if the situation worsens, said KDCA Director, Jeong Eun-kyeong.

For information, as of Thursday, July 8, South Korea recorded a total of 164,028 cases of COVID_19 infection, with the death toll reaching 2,034.