S.KOREA SEES RECORD COVID-19 CASES

[Anchor Lead]

Daily COVID-19 cases which remained above 300,000 for the fourth straight day have surpassed the 400,000 mark and recorded an all time high of 400,741 cases. The surge is due to the omicron wave nearing its peak and also because rapid antigen tests conducted by medical professionals began to be accepted as official results starting this week.

[Pkg]

A long line stretching some 20 meters has formed outside a hospital.

[Soundbite] "Please line up and get tested."

On the second day of rapid antigen tests carried out by medical experts being officially counted.. people have flocked to get the test.

[Soundbite] Kim Sam-sim(Awaiting rapid antigen test) : "I waited for 30 minutes. But the line is so long, who knows how much longer I need to wait."

Hospitals and clinics have increased staff but it’s not enough to handle the sheer testing volume and other related work.

[Soundbite] Seo Jin-yeong(Eunpyeong Yonsei Hospital) : "I hope the computer entry of patient information can be simplified and carried out later so we can speed up the testing process."

Daily infections have shot up by 38-thousand in a single day. The past 24 hours also reported 164 more deaths. The upward trend is expected to continue for the time being.

[Soundbite] Park Hyang(Central Disasters Management HQs) : "Cases are expected to rise for the time being as positive rapid antigen tests conducted at local clinics are accepted as official test results."

The number of critically ill patients is also at a record high of 1,244, pushing up the ICU bed occupancy rate nationwide to 64%. The situation is worse in non-capital areas where 72% of them are occupied. 75% occupancy indicates a dangerous level and over 80% signals saturation. The country faces another critical juncture where securing enough hospital beds is being urgently called for.