New COVID-19 cases over 50,000 for 5th day amid worries over further spike

▲ Medical workers carry out rapid antigen tests at a COVID-19 testing station in Seoul on Feb. 13, 2022, as South Korea hit a daily high of 56,431 new COVID-19 infections. (Yonhap)

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New COVID-19 cases over 50,000 for 5th day amid worries over further spike

SEOUL, Feb. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases exceeded 50,000 for the fifth day in a row on Monday as health authorities brace for a further spike amid the fast spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant across the nation.

The country reported 54,619 new COVID-19 infections, including 54,513 local cases, raising the total to 1,405,246, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The latest figure marked the fifth day in a row that daily infections have exceeded 50,000. It was below a daily record high of 56,428 reported the previous day.

Health authorities have warned that the daily new cases could hit 170,000 by around the end of this month. The National Institute of Mathematical Sciences, a state-run think tank, estimated the figure could even soar as high as 360,000 by early next month.

The death toll from COVID-19 came to 7,102, up 21 from Sunday. The fatality rate was 0.51 percent, the KDCA said.

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