New confirmation, 'doubling' again... "Confirmed and symptomatic also take the entrance exam"

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The number of new COVID-19 cases is showing signs of increasing again.

Yesterday (17th), the number of confirmed cases more than doubled last week.

The government announced quarantine measures for the college entrance exam next month.

Correspondent Ho-Won Choi.

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The number of new COVID-19 cases yesterday was 33,248.

The 'doubling' phenomenon, in which the number of confirmed cases doubles every week, has reappeared at 2.15 times the same day of the week last week.

There were 247 cases of severe serious illness, and the death toll was 6, which was reduced to a single figure in 98 days.

Jeong Ki-seok, chairman of the National Infectious Disease Crisis Response Advisory Committee, warned, "There is a possibility that the 7th epidemic will start in early December."

[Jung Ki-seok/Chairman of the National Infectious Disease Crisis Response Advisory Committee (Yesterday): It is difficult to predict the time and scale, but the 7th pandemic will occur.

About 13 million people (due to complete infection and vaccination) had defenses by December.

The remaining 38 million people will not have adequate defense.]

The quarantine authorities are strongly recommending the 3rd and 4th booster vaccinations, especially for the elderly over the age of 60.

As of yesterday, the 3rd dose was 65.5% of the population, and the 4th dose was 14.6%.

The government also urgently approved an additional improved vaccine made by Pfizer yesterday targeting the BA.5 and BA.4 mutations, the dominant species in Korea, and plans to use it for inoculation as soon as the initial quantity is introduced.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education announced the quarantine measures for the college entrance exam on the 17th of next month.

Candidates who are confirmed after the 11th of the following month will be assigned a separate test center.

Close contacts take the test at the general test center.

On the day of the test, if you are separated as a 'symptom' due to fever, etc., you can take the test in a separate test room in the general test center.