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SEOUL: South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered on Monday (December 7) that testing for COVID-19 be expanded by mobilizing the military and more public service personnel, as the country continued to report new daily cases of three digits.
Moon said test sites should operate longer hours to allow those who are working to be tested at their convenience and that more vehicle test facilities should be established, said Blue House presidential spokesman Chung Man-ho, in a briefing.
South Korea reported 615 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the Korean Agency for Disease Prevention and Control said, limiting a month of triple-digit daily increases that have fueled the country’s largest wave of infections in nine months.
On Sunday, authorities said they will impose stricter social distancing rules for the capital Seoul and the surrounding areas, which will last at least until the end of the month.
READ: South Korea tightens the curbs of COVID-19 in the Seoul region
South Korea avoided the lockdowns, but used an intensive tracking, testing and quarantine system to crush two previous waves of infection.
However, with this third wave, the government has faced mounting criticism as cases continue to rise despite unprecedented measures such as mask mandates, restaurant curfews and other restrictions.
READ: Comment: Is South Korea doing enough to tackle its new COVID-19 wave?
Monday’s total was down slightly from Sunday, when the agency reported 631 new cases, the highest daily count since a peak in February and early March.
In total, South Korea has reported 38,161 cases, with 549 deaths.
Health authorities have said that if the current trend in cases continues, the hospital system could be overloaded.
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