Iran Press/ Asia: South Korea broke its daily record for coronavirus infections for a second straight day on Thursday with more than 5,200 new cases, as pressure mounted on a health care system grappling with rising hospitalizations and deaths.
South Korea confirmed its first five omicron cases Wednesday night linked to arrivals from Nigeria, prompting the government to tighten its border controls.
The country will require all passengers arriving from abroad over the next two weeks to quarantine for at least ten days, regardless of their nationality or vaccination status.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said more than 4,100 of the 5,266 new coronavirus cases came from the capital Seoul and its nearby metropolitan region, where officials say 90% of intensive care units designated for COVID-19 are already occupied.
A record 733 virus patients are in severe or critical condition, while the country’s death toll is now 3,705 after 47 patients died in the past 24 hours.
216
Read more:
Highest COVID-19 daily count reported in S. Korea
