Korea's daily Covid-19 tally soared to the highest level in more than two months Wednesday, as unrelenting cluster infections gripped the Seoul metro region amid growing jitters over the spread of variant cases.
The country reported 794 more new virus cases, including 759 local infections, raising the total caseload to 156,961, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The latest figure was up 199 from the previous day.
One more person died of coronavirus, raising the death toll to 2,018. The fatality rate was 1.29 percent.
The daily caseload marks the highest since April 23, when the comparable figure was 797. The sharp rise came as the country is set to implement eased distancing rules starting Thursday. However, there are growing concerns that the number of new infections may sharply rise amid the potential spread of the more contagious Delta variant and loosened vigilance against the pandemic.
The government had previously announced that it would allow people administered with their first vaccine doses to do without face masks outdoors as part of its efforts to incentivize citizens to receive the vaccine.
Under the loosened rules, health authorities will also allow restaurants and cafes to open till midnight. It will also permit the gathering of six people until July 14 in the Seoul metro region before increasing the limit to eight. No restrictions will be placed on other areas after the first two weeks of next month.
Health officials expressed concerns about the greater Seoul area as three-quarters of daily infections on Wednesday came from the greater Seoul area.
"Over 600 cases, which account for 83 percent of all confirmed cases on Wednesday, occurred in the Seoul metro region, and the quarantine situation in the area is serious," Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-chul said during a daily task force meeting. "The number of confirmed cases in Seoul alone has surpassed 300."
According to Kwon, the number of confirmed cases is increasing more rapidly among young people in their 20s and 30s.
"In the metro area, the number of confirmed cases in their 20s exceeded 500 in the past week, a sharp increase of more than 20 percent from the previous week," he said. "Group infection continues in multi-use facilities such as private academies, pubs, and entertainment facilities frequently used by young people."
Kwon reiterated that the relaxed social distancing harmonizes daily life and quarantine based on the “autonomy and responsibility” of local governments and individuals.
"If the number of confirmed cases increases and the criteria for step-up are met, the government will have to adjust the level of distancing quickly to reduce the risk of infection," he said. "Therefore, local governments in the metropolitan area where the quarantine situation is difficult should implement the special quarantine measures quickly and thoroughly."
To curve the spread of the virus, the health authorities decided to apply enhanced guidelines on virus-prone facilities, such as restaurants, cafes, and indoor gyms, in the capital area for two weeks till July 14.
Following the zero-tolerance principle, they will adopt a one-strike-out system to establishments that violate quarantine rules, such as fines for negligence and bans on gatherings.
Regarding concerns about the increase in variant cases, the government has decided to waive the mandatory quarantine exemption for arrivals from India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines even if they have completed their vaccination.
The government has vaccinated 15,321,254 people – 10,393,639 with the AstraZeneca vaccine, 3,769,895 with Pfizer's vaccine, 1,127,694 with Janssen's vaccine, 30,026 with Moderna's vaccine – with the first shot of the vaccine up 16,084 from the previous day.
The figure accounts for 29.8 percent of the country's population.