S. KOREA REPORTS 5,409 NEW CASES

[Anchor Lead]

5,409 new COVID-19 cases are reported in Korea as of midnight on Wednesday, about 1,500 more than the day before. But the outbreak seems to be slowing down. Authorities discussed on Wednesday whether to ease business restrictions.

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South Korea reported 5,409 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. The daily tally is gradually going down after recording 7828 on December 14. There are positive developments in various indices. Last week the average daily tally stood at 6101, recording the first decline since the gradual return to normalcy began. The virus reproduction rate has also fallen below 1 to 0.98 for the first time in nine weeks. The government is cautiously optimistic that daily cases are finally going down.

[Soundbite] Sohn Young-rae(Central Disasters Management HQs) : "The outbreak seems to be slowing down. However, we should keep in mind that fewer tests were conducted last weekend because of the cold weather."

The government is reviewing whether to extend the elevated COVID-19 restrictions and will announce its decision on Friday. It will probably depend on whether the declining number of cases will also result in fewer critical patients as well as on the spread of the Omicron variant. Small businesses demand operation curfew be lifted as soon as possible.

[Soundbite] Cha Nam-soo(Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise) : "The curfew should be lifted for the vaccinated to put an end to this situation for small businesses."

Medical experts, however, warn against easing restrictions too soon, because the number of ICU patients remains high and the Omicron variant is spreading in local communities.

[Soundbite] Prof. Lee Jae-gap(Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital) : "The number of ICU patients will likely stay at the 900-1000 level for a couple of weeks. If the number of cases surges because of the Omicron variant, the health care system could collapse."

The committee on the gradual return to normalcy will consider expanding the use of a smartphone app that notifies users of possible contact with the infected. The move is aimed at overcoming the limitations of epidemiological investigations. By inserting their GPS data, users can easily find out if they have come into contact with the infected and need to get tested.