S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit fresh high of 27,443 as omicron surges

▲ People wait in line to take a COVID-19 test at a testing site in Seoul on Feb. 2, 2022. (Yonhap)

coronavirus-additional cases

S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases hit fresh high of 27,443 as omicron surges

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily virus cases on Friday hit another all-time high with infections exceeding 27,000 for the first time amid the fast spread of the omicron variant after a holiday season.

The country reported 27,443 new COVID-19 infections, including 27,283 local cases, raising the total to 934,656, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The previous daily record was 22,907 reported on Thursday.

The death toll from COVID-19 came to 6,836, up 24 from Thursday. The fatality rate was 0.73 percent.

The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients was 257, down 17 from a day earlier.

Health authorities have warned that the five-day Lunar New Year holiday, which ended Wednesday, could send virus cases to new heights in the weeks to come.

Earlier in the day, South Korea decided to extend the current social distancing curbs for two more weeks through Feb. 20, during which private gatherings of more than six people will be banned and businesses are subject to a 9 p.m. curfew.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved