Korea’s daily case count exceeds 5,000 for first time
South Korea on Wednesday counted more than 5,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the first time since the outbreak started. The previous record was set Nov. 24 with 4,115 cases. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agencys situation report showed 5,122 cases and 34 deaths were found in the last 24 hours.
The new high comes a month after the country eased most pandemic restrictions upon entering first of its three-stage return to normal scheme on Nov. 1.
The number of patients with severe or critical COVID-19 also reached a record high of 723. In and around Seoul nearly 90 percent of critical care beds were occupied by Tuesday afternoon, according to the update from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which oversees COVID-19 bed assignments.
As beds become scarce, the government announced Monday that home isolation will be the default care arrangement for all COVID-19 patients.
So far 452,350 people here have been infected with COVID-19, of whom 3,658 have died, according to official statistics.
By Kim Arin
