COVID-19 CASES REACH RECORD HIGH

[Anchor Lead]

COVID-19 cases are spiraling out of control in Korea following a long holiday period. As of midnight of Thursday 22,907 new COVID-19 cases were reported, setting a new record. Authorities say the worst is yet to come.

[Pkg]

Upon arrival from hometowns, train passengers head to COVID-19 testing stations. People stand in a long line.

[Soundbite] (Citizen waiting for test) : "I want to get tested before visiting crowded places. I need to be assured after taking a trip to my hometown."

Those who spent the lunar New Year holiday in Seoul are also worried.

[Soundbite] (Citizen waiting for test) : "Even though I didn't go out a lot and mostly stayed at home, I'm worried I might spread the virus to my coworkers."

22,907 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Thursday, a record-high number. Daily tally topped 20,000 just a week after surpassing 10,000. Over the past week the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people was 44 in Incheon, the highest in the nation. It was trailed by Seoul and Gyeonggi-do Province. Daegu had 39 cases per 100,000 people, Gwangju - 32, Daejeon and Chungcheongnam-do Province – 30. Cases in non-capital regions now account for a greater share with Omicron now being a dominant strain in the nation. Daily cases snowballed even though fewer PCR tests were conducted during the holiday period. The outbreak is expected to get worse in the coming days.

[Soundbite] Kim Boo-kyum(Prime Minister) : "From our previous experience we know that coronavirus cases always surge after holidays. Given the high contagiousness of Omicron, cases will inevitably stay high for the time being."

On the flip side, the number of seriously ill patients is declining and the fatality rate has fallen to 0.77 percent, an on-week dip of 0.1 percentage points. The government is urging the public to get tested in advance, avoid visiting public venues and rest at home if they're not feeling well to prevent outbreaks at workplaces.