Korea added 72,873 new Covid-19 infections, including 81 cases from abroad, bringing the total caseload to 26,654,729, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The figure is the highest since Sept. 14, when the country reported 93,949 cases.

The nation also reported 45 more Covid-19 deaths, raising the death toll to 30,111. The fatality rate stood at 0.11 percent. The number of critically ill patients came to 461, down four from the previous day, the KDCA said.

Although the government is actively encouraging winter booster vaccination, the vaccination rate for people over 60 is still low.

As of midnight Monday, the vaccination rate over 60 was 17.1 percent, and the vaccination rate in facilities vulnerable to infection, such as nursing hospitals, facilities, and mental health promotion facilities, was 17.4 percent.

To increase the vaccination rate, the government set an intensive vaccination period for four weeks from Monday.

During the intensive vaccination period, the government plans to vaccinate 50 percent of the elderly population and 60 percent of those entering, using and working at facilities vulnerable to infection.

However, a recent survey showed that over one-third of Koreans believed a winter booster vaccination was unnecessary.

The survey, conducted by Professor Yoo Myung-soon’s team at Seoul National University College of Public Health and Kstat Research, asked the opinions of 1,000 Koreans 18 and older on the need to receive winter vaccination.

It found that 36.3 percent were against receiving a booster vaccination for the winter.

Also, four out of 10 citizens said they felt psychological limitations related to additional vaccination. Psychological limitations included additional vaccination being cumbersome (43.5 percent, hesitancy toward booster vaccination due to daily life or stress (43.6 percent), and the inconvenience of visiting the hospital to receive booster vaccination (38.7 percent).

About 420 respondents said they had no intention of receiving the booster vaccination, and 63 percent of the respondents said that they would not receive the booster vaccination because they can test positive for Covid-19 even after receiving the inoculation.

Also, 42 percent of respondents said that they may not undergo a self-diagnosis test or a rapid antigen test (RAT) even if they have Covid-19 related symptoms.

Regarding the Covid-19 resurge this winter, 70.4 percent responded that it would be serious.

However, the survey found that more than half of Koreans (66.8 percent) still believed wearing masks indoors was important to prevent Covid-19.