SEOUL: South Korea reported 1,378 new coronavirus cases Saturday, a record high for the third day in a row as the country prepared to impose its highest-level curbs in the greater capital area next week.
The country had previously been held up as a model of how to combat the pandemic, with the public largely following social distancing and other rules, but it was slow to start its vaccine roll-out due to supply shortages.
More than 1,000 of the new cases were in the capital Seoul and its surrounding areas, home to around half the South Korean population.
Clusters have recently surfaced in areas including schools, offices and shopping malls, with people in their 20s and 30s -- most of whom are not yet eligible for vaccinations -- driving up the numbers.
Only about 11 per cent of the country's 52 million population is fully vaccinated, according to health authorities.
On Friday, the country's prime minister Kim Boo-kyum said the record spike in new cases left authorities no choice but to implement the highest-level curbs.
Under the new restrictions, set to come into force on Monday and last for two weeks, gatherings of more than two people will be banned after 6 pm and schools will be closed.
Bars and clubs will be shut, while cafes and restaurants are allowed limited seating and dine-in services are prohibited after 10 pm.
However, the rising trend has prompted a warning that new case numbers may nearly double by end-July.
That has led to tougher curbs by the government including people being advised to stay home as much as possible and social gatherings restricted to two people after 6 pm from four earlier in the day.
About 11 per cent of South Korea's 52 million population has completed vaccination, including receiving both shots for vaccines requiring two doses, while 30 per cent have received one dose, KDCA said in a statement.
The country aims to reach herd immunity before November by inoculating 70 per cent of the public with at least one shot by September.
South Korea's total Covid-19 infections to date stand at 166,722, with 2,038 deaths. - Reuters
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