Korea reaches peak of sixth wave of infections

People wait to get testsed for Covid-19 at a public health center in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Tuesday.[YONHAP]

Korea is at the peak of its sixth wave of Covid-19, although medical experts warn of another spike in infections this fall.

"It appears that Covid-19 infections are passing their peak now,” said Lim Sook-young, director of the Infectious Disease Crisis Response Bureau at the Central Disease Control Headquarters during a press briefing on Tuesday.

“And they will likely turn to a decline this week or next week.”

Korea added 150,258 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, including 504 imported from overseas, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The total caseload stands at 22,449,475.

Tuesday’s figure was similar to the 149,860 Covid-19 cases reported two weeks ago, showing that infections are slowly starting to fall.

The government earlier projected the sixth Covid-19 wave would peak at around 200,000 daily cases around the end of this month and then subside. Covid patients in critical or serious condition could be between 800 to 900 early next month, with deaths peaking at 100 to 140 people a day, authorities said.

“Fatalities and critical or serious cases rise with a time lag, and they can continue to increase for the next two to three weeks,” Lim added.

Jung Ki-suck, head of the National Infectious Diseases Consulting Committee noted during a briefing session held the previous day that this week will be the peak of the current virus wave, while adding another “big wave” of Covid-19 could come this autumn.

This is because people infected during the country’s worst Covid outbreak last March — estimated to be around 18 million — will see their immunity disappear after six months, which is from October to November, Jung said.

The average number of new daily cases in the week from Aug. 17 to Tuesday came to 135,390.

There were 487 hospitalized Covid-19 patients in critical or serious condition, down by 64 from the previous day. Among them, 420 people, or 86.2 percent, were 60 or above.

Fifty-two more people died of the virus overnight, 13 fewer than the day before, bringing the death toll to 26,161.

Amid a resurgence of the Omicron subvariant, authorities said schools will maintain face-to-face classes in the second semester even if cases surge.

"In order to continue the return to normalcy, face-to-face classes will be maintained even when Covid infections increase," Lim stressed during Tuesday’s briefing.

"Extracurricular activities that can increase the risk of infection or hands-on activities and outdoor classes that aren’t directly related to mandatory courses will be refrained from as much as possible," she added.

In efforts to curb the virus spread, health authorities recommended students or teachers showing symptoms not to come to school, and instead have the symptoms recorded on the Self-Diagnosis App on their phones and get tested.

If a new Covid-19 patient is found in a class, classmates with high-risk underlying conditions are eligible for a PCR test at the local public health center with a confirmation letter from the principal.

Authorities urged families of high-risk groups to get a fourth vaccine dose to stop infections leading to severe illness or death.

Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon announced a similar measure on Tuesday.

Cho said schools in Seoul will maintain face-to-face classes in the second semester, and that the schools will be provided with 1.12 million kits for rapid antigen testing, with students and teachers receiving two kits each.

Around four to six employees of the education office will be sent to each elementary, middle and high schools in Seoul to assist in the implementation of pandemic safety measures.

Middle and high school students infected with Covid-19 were allowed to take first semester finals, and education authorities said they will try to maintain that policy, which will be finalized next month.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will also expand psychological and mental support for students who have been affected by the pandemic.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]