COVID-19 REINFECTIONS ON THE RISE

[Anchor Lead]

South Korea confirmed some 70,000 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight on Thursday. This is the highest figure in 3 months for a Thursday. Cases of re-infections are surging as immunity acquired after people's last vaccination or infection wanes over time.

[Pkg]

On the day when a cold weather warning was issued in Seoul, workers at an outdoor screening station try to stay warm using heating pads and heaters as temperatures have plunged to minus 10 degrees C.

[Soundbite] Joo Sung-hyun(Nurse) : "We have to take off our jackets to put on hazmat suits, so we use heaters and heating pads a lot. But it's still very cold."

Despite the freezing weather, people flock to get tested for COVID-19.

[Soundbite] Kim Sung-hyuk(Seoul resident) : "My father and I came here to get tested because my mother has got COVID-19."

The weekly COVID-19 charts show that the outbreak has been on the rise since last week after slowing down in late November. Korea reported 70,154 new cases on Thursday, the highest Thursday case count in 3 months. The number of re-infections is also going up. Their percentage has been growing steadily, reaching 15 percent in the final week of November. Authorities are urging the public to receive modified vaccines as the immunity acquired after the last vaccination or infection wanes over time.

[Soundbite] Lim Suk-young(Central Disease Control HQs) : "Reinfections will increase to some degree as immunity wanes over time. Getting boosted with bivalent vaccines is important to prevent reinfections."

Moderna's bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron BA.4/5 variants has been introduced in Korea. Same-day vaccinations will be available to the public from Dec. 26. Appointments are to be received from Dec. 19. The government has been discussing lifting the indoor mask mandate and will announce detailed plans on Dec. 23.