South Korea reports highest daily COVID-19 cases in 3 months

South Korea on Wednesday reported over 100,000 new COVID-19 infections for the first time in more than three months amid the rapid spread of a highly contagious omicron subvariant, local media reported.

As many as 100,285 new cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total caseload to over 19 million, according to Yonhap News Agency.

On April 20, the East Asian country reported 111,291 cases, which later gradually declined to 10,000 in June.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency attributed the surge, which started in late June, to the omicron subvariant BA.5.

The daily count climbed over 10,000 on June 29 for the first time, before crossing 20,000 on July 9 and then hitting 70,000 last week.

The agency officials warned that the country has entered a “new virus wave" but there is no plan to bring back anti-virus restrictions.

“We believe that the distancing based on rules to block transmission is no longer effective, and we intend to continue the efforts on the uninterrupted path toward recovery of everyday life to minimize social and economic damage,” said KDCA Commissioner Peck Kyong-ran.

There were also 25 more virus-related fatalities in South Korea over the past day, raising the overall death toll to 24,932.

The government has recommended fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines for people aged 50 and older, as well as people aged 18 and above who have underlying health conditions.