SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) — The amount of new coronavirus infections in South Korea has seen a decrease for the ninth week in a row, with people aged 60 and over making up almost 40 percent of the additional cases, statistics revealed Thursday.
The number of additional patients totaled 7,483 during the second week of October, a drop of 13 percent compared to the week before, according to the weekly report from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
Of the new cases, seniors aged 60 and over accounted for 38.3 percent, a slight increase from the 37.4 percent reported the week before.
The South Korean government lowered the infection level of COVID-19 to Class 4, the same level as the seasonal flu, starting Aug. 31.
Since then, the nation has implemented a sample-based positive test reporting system involving 527 local surveillance organizations, suspending the long-term full-scale testing system.
Health authorities, meanwhile, began administering vaccinations with new COVID-19 vaccines for seniors Thursday to address new variants. Vaccinations for younger citizens will begin next month.
A senior citizen receives a COVID-19 vaccine shot at a hospital in Seoul in this file photo taken Oct. 11, 2023. (Yonhap)
colin@yna.co.kr
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