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SEOUL: South Korea reported on Tuesday (December 29) that 40 more deaths related to COVID-19, the highest daily number since the pandemic began.
Authorities also reported 1,046 new confirmed coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of cases to 58,725, with 859 deaths.
South Korea’s previous daily high for COVID-19 deaths was 24, reported on December 21 and 22.
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun expressed regret over a massive cluster infection in a Seoul prison, with a total of 757 infections, and called for comprehensive prevention measures.
Authorities had stepped up testing to track potential cases of unknown origin and those showing no symptoms, especially in the Seoul metropolitan area.
More than 500,000 tests were performed at temporary testing centers in the Seoul metropolitan area over the past two weeks, where more than 1,400 patients were identified, Chung said.
“We advanced in the search for the silent spreaders and avoided transmission,” Chung told a meeting.
Some observers said the rise in deaths reflects an increase in cluster infections in nursing homes and long-term care facilities where older people with underlying health problems are staying.
READ: South Korea will accelerate COVID-19 vaccine efforts as UK’s first variant detected
The South Korean government has added new restrictions this week, such as banning gatherings of more than four people and suspending ski resorts and tourist sports, with the aim of stopping the spread of the virus during the Christmas and New Year holidays. .
On Monday, the country vowed to accelerate efforts to launch a COVID-19 vaccination program when it discovered its first cases of the variant of the coronavirus linked to Britain.
The new variant, believed to be more communicable than others currently circulating, was found in three people who had entered South Korea from London on December 22, the Korean Agency for Disease Prevention and Control said on Monday ( KDCA).
The three people are members of a London-based family who arrived in the country on December 1.
READ: How South Korea’s Early COVID-19 Success Left It Struggling To Contain A New Wave
The new strain of the virus emerged earlier this month in Britain and has already reached several European countries, in addition to Canada, Jordan and Japan.
Last week, London said another new variant of the virus was found in the country in cases related to South Africa, which is the first African nation to record 1 million coronavirus cases.
The new strain led more than 50 countries to impose travel restrictions on Britain.
South Korea was among them and has banned flights from Britain until January 7.
In addition, the country will make it mandatory for passengers traveling from Britain or South Africa to submit negative COVID-19 test results before departure, said KDCA chief Jung Eun-kyeong.
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