S. Korea's daily COVID-19 cases exceed 200,000 for 4th day

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed above 200,000 for the fourth consecutive day Monday as the highly contagious omicron variant continued to fuel a surge in infections.

The country reported 210,716 new COVID-19 infections, including 210,628 local cases, raising the total caseload to 4,666,977, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The daily tally has been declining since peaking at a record-high of 266,850 cases Friday. The daily caseload surpassed 200,000 for the first time Wednesday since the country reported the first virus case in January 2020.

The omicron variant has caused an unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. The total virus cases passed four million Saturday, just five days after reaching the three million mark. The country crossed the one million mark early last month, the KDCA said.

While omicron causes less severe symptoms than the delta variant, the sheer size of the omicron surge escalated COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations.

The country added 139 more COVID-19 deaths, bringing the death toll to 9,096. The fatality rate was 0.19 percent.

Critical cases rose to 955, up 70 from a day ago. For the week ending Saturday, the corresponding tally was 761.

Swamped by the omicron surge, the South Korean government has shifted its focus to treating serious cases and preventing deaths, ending its rigorous contact tracing program.

It also increased the use of rapid antigen self-test kits and at-home treatment, as medical staff and other resources have been stretched thin.

Starting Saturday, some multiuse facilities, including cafes and restaurants, were allowed to stay open by one more hour to 11 p.m. as part of the government's efforts to reduce financial pain for small businesses. The current six-person cap on private gatherings, however, will remain in place.

The new rules will be in place until March 20.

The current wave is forecast to peak around mid-March with some 350,000 daily cases, according to the KDCA.

Of the locally transmitted cases, Seoul reported 39,557 new cases. The surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western city of Incheon added 51,097 and 15,323 new infections, respectively. Cases from overseas rose by 88 to a total of 29,832.

As of Monday, 31.8 million people, or 62 percent of the country's 52 million population, had received booster shots. The number of fully vaccinated people came to 44.39 million, accounting for 86.5 percent, according to the KDCA.

More than 1.15 million people are currently receiving at-home treatment, up 226,894 from a day earlier. (Yonhap)