S. KOREA REPORTS 187,213 NEW CASES

[Anchor Lead]

New daily COVID-19 cases in Korea recorded 187,213 on Monday, falling below 200,000, probably because of the weekend effect. The number of cases seems to be gradually going down, but some regions are still seeing spikes. Moreover, the number of severe cases and deaths has yet to peak, meaning the next 2-3 weeks could be the most challenging.

[Pkg]

Korea reported 187,213 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. The number has dopped by some 130,000 from Sunday and by some 20,000 from a week ago. The decline is gradual but clear. Last week, the nation recorded 676 daily cases per 100,000 people on average, more than 100 fewer than the week prior. But some regions are still seeing spikes. The Chungcheong region is seeing a surge of cases lately. ICU occupancy in the capital region has stabilized, but in non-capital regions they are 74 percent full and could hit full capacity soon. Not a single ICU bed is now available in Sejong City. In Gangwon, only three are left. Experts warn the number of severe cases and deaths will likely continue to rise for the time being, even if new daily cases subside. More than 280 new deaths were reported on Monday, while the number of ICU patients recorded 1,216, remaining above one thousand for the 20th consecutive day. Experts point out the actual number of severe cases is larger, because health authorities only announce the number of patients on ventilators and oxygen suppliers.

[Soundbite] Prof. Kim Woo-joo(Korea Univ. Guro Hospital) : "All ICU patients are seriously ill COVID-19 patents. Some patients are admitted to ICUs because they need low-flow oxygen or vasopressors due to shock caused by a sudden fall of blood pressure."

In countries that have already gone through Omicron waves, the outbreaks stayed at their peaks for a while in some countries, and dropped rapidly in others. How the situation will unfold in Korea will become clear in the next 2 to 3 weeks.