People wait in line to be tested for COVID-19 at a testing center in Daegu, 302 kilometers south of Seoul, on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
South Korea's daily new virus cases remained in the 700s for the second day Thursday as the greater Seoul area is facing a potential resurgence in new infections, which led authorities to push back eased virus restrictions.
The country reported 762 more COVID-19 cases, including 712 local infections, raising the total caseload to 157,723, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
The daily caseload soared to an over two-month high Wednesday due to a series of cluster infections in the wider Seoul area, home to half of the country's 51.2 million population. The latest tally is slightly down from 794 cases a day earlier.
The country added three more deaths, raising the death toll to 2,021.
As of 6 p.m., 665 confirmed new cases were reported across the country, up 61 from the same time the previous day, according to the health authorities and local governments.
A total of 557 new cases were reported in the greater Seoul area encompassing the capital, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, with
108 reported in other regions. The number of new cases are expected to reach the upper 700 range on Friday.
Health authorities had initially planned to implement an eased distancing scheme across the country Thursday, such as raising the cap on private gatherings and extending business curfews.
The daily caseload had appeared to be under control in recent weeks, fluctuating between 300 and 600.
The recent spike, however, forced Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon to hold off on the eased scheme for one week. The new rules in the area would have increased the cap on private gatherings to six from the current four, while restaurants would have been able to operate until midnight from the current 10 p.m.
More than 75 percent of daily infections have been reported in the wider Seoul area.
Health experts have expressed concerns that the new scheme may ignite a surge in new virus infections as people in their 20s to 50s have yet to be vaccinated. Rising cases of the more transmissible Delta variant of the virus have also added woes to the virus fight.
South Korea's vaccination campaign has so far focused on the elderly and priority groups, such as medical workers.
A total of 15.3 million people, or 29.9 percent of the country's population, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines since the country started its vaccination program on Feb.
26. The KDCA said 5.04 million people have been fully vaccinated, taking up 9.8 percent of the population.
South Korea aims to inoculate 36 million people by September to achieve herd immunity in November.
The country currently administers two-dose vaccines from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna, as well as Janssen's single-shot vaccine.
Health authorities said they will start vaccinating high school seniors and faculty members from July 19 and the 50s age group from July 26.
The country will also administer the AstraZeneca vaccine only to those aged 50 or older instead of the current 30-plus age group, given concerns over rare blood clot side effects among young people that have led to one death here.
Those under 50 who have already received the AstraZeneca vaccine for their first doses will be given the Pfizer vaccine for their second shots.
Of the newly confirmed domestic cases, 85 percent came from the wider Seoul area, with 332 from the capital, 245 from Gyeonggi Province and 30 from Incheon.
There were 50 additional imported cases, up 15 from a day earlier, raising the total to 9,967.
The number of patients in serious or critical condition came to 144, down five from the previous day.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries was 148,024, up 331 from a day earlier. (Yonhap)