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The number of new corona cases is showing signs of increasing again.

Today (6th) is expected to be around 20,000.

The government is paying attention to the spread of omicron strains, and is considering whether it is necessary to expand the target for the fourth dose.



Reporter Han Seong-hee on the sidewalk.



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Following the previous day when there were 18,000 new confirmed cases a day, the number of confirmed cases to be announced today is expected to exceed 20,000.



The number of weekly confirmed cases increased by about 20% compared to the previous week, and it is the first time in 15 weeks since the third week of March, when the Omicron epidemic peaked, the increase has returned.



Four months after vaccination, more people have weakened immunity and the amount of movement is also considered to be the cause.



In particular, the quarantine authorities are paying attention to the sub-mutation BA.5 of Omicron.



The detection rate of BA.5, which became the dominant species in some European countries, soared from 7.5% last week to 24.1% in Korea.



[Lim Sook-young / Head of the Central Quarantine Countermeasures Headquarters situation: BA.5 detection rate also increased significantly this week, so I think it will increase a lot next week.

So, I would like to say that there is a concern about a dominant species in the near future.]]



According to the British Health Agency, the propagation speed of BA.5 was 35.1% faster than that of the existing Omicron.



The immune evasion tendency was also high, and it was found that the effectiveness of preventing reinfection was reduced by more than 3 times in the case of breakthrough infection.



Even if you have been infected with Omicron and have been cured, you can be infected with BA.5 again.



The government is reviewing the necessity of the 4th vaccination for the entire nation, believing that the period of the re-infestation can be accelerated.



Currently, the fourth vaccination is only available to those aged 60 years or older, immunocompromised, and those who enter or work in high-risk facilities such as nursing homes.



In addition to this, we are discussing expanding the target of the fourth vaccination to those with underlying diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.