Data released on Thursday indicated that the weekly total of coronavirus patients in South Korea had increased for the first time in 11 weeks, with the elderly making up almost 40% of the additional cases.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported that during the fourth week of October, 8,635 people tested positive for the virus, a 17% jump from the previous week.
People aged 60 and above accounted for 38.6% of the new cases, a slight decrease from 39.3% the week prior.
In late August, the South Korean government lowered the COVID-19 infection level to Class 4, the same as the seasonal flu. Since then, the country has implemented a sample-based positive test reporting system, replacing the full-scale testing system that had been in place for years.
A photograph of an elderly person receiving a COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in western Seoul on October 19, 2023 was also released.
colin@yna.co.kr
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