S. KOREA REPORTS 362,338 NEW CASES

[Anchor Lead]

Korea added 362,338 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight on Tuesday. The number of cases has been above 300-thousand for four consecutive days. Hospitals nationwide were crowded on Monday, when local clinics began providing rapid antigen tests for the first time. The government says the outbreak will likely start declining in the middle of next week. Authorities are considering easing COVID restrictions.

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A hospital in western Seoul. From early morning, it was crowded with patients who arrived to receive the rapid antigen tests. From this Monday, positive rapid antigen tests confirmed by professional healthcare workers have been regarded as confirmed COVID-19 cases.

[Soundbite] Lee Se-ra(Surgeon) : "We conducted 2-3 times more rapid antigen tests this morning, testing 26 patients. Our administrative burden is also growing."

It's more convenient for the public, as test results come out quickly and patients can receive subsequent treatments right away.

[Soundbite] Chung Chan-seop(Seoul Resident) : "Taking PCR tests is scary, and it takes one full day to get the results. It's a hassle. But now I can get tested conveniently at any regular clinic and get the results right away."

On Tuesday, Korea added 362,338 new COVID-19 cases. The number of seriously ill patients has also surged to 1196. Health authorities expect the outbreak to peak in the middle of next week, with daily cases ranging between 310,000 and 370,000. The number of infections is predicted to decline around Wednesday of next week.

[Soundbite] Jung Eun-kyeong(KDCA Director) : "We expect the outbreak to peak between March 16 and 22 with daily cases ranging between 300,000 and 370,000."

The number of seriously ill patients will likely surpass 1,800 on March 23 and top 2,100 in late March or early April. Meanwhile, health authorities are considering relaxing COVID restrictions, as the number of ICU patients is smaller than the initially predicted amount and there are obvious signs that the outbreak is about to peak. Authorities will collect opinions before revising social distancing measures and announcing them on March 18.