COVID-19 wave expected to peak when students return to school in late August
The government is scrambling to contain the spread of COVID-19 amid a resurgence in cases, which is expected to peak in late August when students return to school after summer vacation.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Tuesday, officials are taking necessary measures to minimize the damage as a new COVID variant, KP.3, spreads throughout the country’s most major cities.
Yet for now, strong measures implemented during the pandemic, such as mass testing and mask mandates, are not under consideration as the risk of a sudden rise in severe cases remains low, an official told The Korea Times.
The health agency’s data shows the number of 바카라게임 people admitted to 220 hospitals nationwide for COVID-19 jumped to 861 in the first week of August from 148 in the second week of July — the highest number since it fully shifted to an endemic approach to the disease in May.
A children’s hospital in Busan reportedly said the daily number of patients who were confirmed to have contracted the virus there a day increased to about 10 in recent days, compared with just one or two in the first week of this month.
Officials believe the figure will likely continue to swell in the coming weeks, with pupils and many workers preparing to return to their regular duties after the summer break, which is typically concentrated between mid-July and late August.