South Korea reports highest single-day COVID cases since outbreak

ANKARA (AA) - South Korea reported over 2,200 coronavirus cases Wednesday, the highest daily rate since the pandemic hit the country in January last year.

With 2,223 new infections, the country’s total caseload rose to 216,206, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

One death was registered in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities to 2,135, while 189,506 people have recovered so far.

The country has seen a rise in new infections since July 7, when the Delta variant, a strain of the virus first identified in India, was reported in South Korea.

The government has already imposed tight COVID restrictions in the capital Seoul, the epicenter of the latest outbreak, banned gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m. and placed a curfew on restaurants and cafes after 10 p.m., according to Yonhap News Agency.

President Moon Jae-in expressed concern over the rising cases and said his country is passing through a critical period.

It is "of great concern" that the number has surpassed 2,000 despite health authorities' efforts and the public’s cooperation in social distancing, the agency quoted him as saying during a meeting in the presidency.

"[We] are at a critical period that could be a turning point for further increases in infections if we fail to stop the current spread," Moon said

He added that his government will make every effort to stabilize the situation.

According to official data, since February, when a vaccination program was launched, 21.63 million people have received their first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine while 8.06 million have been fully vaccinated.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid