South Korea's virus increased exceeds 7,000 cases for 3rd straight day

December 14, 2021: -On Friday, New coronavirus infections in South Korea exceeded 7,000 for the third consecutive day in a record-breaking increase that has crushed hospitals and threatened the country’s goals to weather the pandemic without lockdowns. During a virus meeting, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said that the country could be forced to take “extraordinary” measures if the virus doesn’t slow soon.

Officials issued administrative orders requiring hospitals all over the country to designate 2,000 more beds combined for Covid-19 treatment.

Kim said the government would also speed up the administration of booster shots by shortening the interval amid the second and third vaccine injections from the current four or five months to three months starting next week.

Around 41.5 million people have been fully vaccinated, or 81% of over 51 million, but only 10% have received booster shots.

A spike has accompanied the delta-driven spread in recent weeks in hospitalizations and deaths, many from people in their 60s or older whose immunities have waned after being inoculated in the vaccine rollout that started in February.

Officials tightened restrictions beginning from Monday, banning private social gatherings of seven or people in the greater capital area and requiring adults to verify their vaccination status at restaurants and other indoor venues. But Kim said such measures haven’t yet shown an effect in slowing transmissions.

“If it becomes clear that we were not succeeding in reversing this crisis within the coming few days, the government will have no choice but to employ extraordinary anti-virus measures, which include strong social distancing,” said Kim, South Korea’s No. 2 behind President Moon Jae-in.

Deputy Health Minister Lee Ki-il said officials might reduce the limit on social gatherings and restore business-hour restrictions at restaurants and bars that were lifted in November if things keep looking bad coming week.

“We will try our best to avoid a lockdown,” Lee said in a briefing.

On Wednesday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said nearly 5,300 of the 7,022 new cases reported were from capital Seoul and the nearby metropolitan area, where the virus has hit hardest. The country’s death toll is at 4,130 after 53 virus patients died in the past 24 hours, while 852 others were in serious or critical conditions.