South Korea's daily new virus cases soared to a nearly six-month high Friday as infections in the greater Seoul area continued to spike amid woes over a potential surge in variant cases, Yonhap cited the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) as saying. The country reported 826 more COVID-19 cases, including 765 local infections, raising the total caseload to 158,549, KDCA added. The daily caseload marks the largest since Jan. 7 when it reached 869. The latest figure is sharply up from 762 cases a day earlier. The country added three more deaths, raising the death toll to 2,024. The daily new cases in the greater Seoul area have accounted for over 80 percent of the total for a week, according to health authorities. As outdoor activities have soared and the new infections from the highly contagious Delta variants have been on the increase in recent days, chances are very high that the new virus cases will further spike, they added. Health experts said under the loosened distancing measures, the highly contagious delta variant could spread fast in the greater Seoul area, and warned that daily new virus cases may rise to 1,000 next week. To curb the further spread of the delta variant, the quarantine measures for arrivals from overseas should be bolstered, they added. The country earlier announced its plan to allow arrivals who have been vaccinated abroad to enter South Korea without going through self-isolation starting July. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stressed that even people who have been inoculated should wear masks in crowded outdoor settings and venues, urging citizens not to hold private gatherings for the time being.
