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People wearing look masks walk by posters reminding precautions against the coronavirus astatine a subway presumption successful Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. South Korea connected Wednesday reported 3,187 caller cases of the coronavirus, astir matching a one-day grounds acceptable successful September, a worrisome improvement successful a state that eased societal distancing rules successful caller weeks to lessen the pandemic's economical impact. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon).

SEOUL – South Korea connected Wednesday reported 3,187 caller cases of the coronavirus, astir matching a one-day grounds acceptable successful September, a worrisome improvement successful a state that eased societal distancing rules successful caller weeks to lessen the pandemic’s economical impact.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said much than 2,550 of the caller cases came from the greater superior area, including a grounds 1,436 successful Seoul. The country’s decease toll is present 3,137, aft 21 deaths were reported connected Wednesday, the 16th consecutive time of double-digit fatalities, including a grounds 32 connected Saturday.

The delta-driven dispersed has raised questions astir whether the state was excessively speedy to easiness pandemic restrictions astatine the commencement of November successful what officials described arsenic a archetypal measurement toward restoring immoderate pre-pandemic normalcy.

In allowing larger societal gatherings and expanding indoor eating hours astatine restaurants, officials had hoped that the country’s improving vaccination rates would support hospitalizations and deaths down adjacent if the microorganism continues to spread.

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But determination has been a emergence successful superior cases and fatalities among elder citizens who rejected vaccines oregon radical successful semipermanent attraction settings whose immunities person waned aft being inoculated aboriginal successful the vaccine rollout, which began successful precocious February.

Officials are present pushing to velocity up the medication of booster shots for radical who were afloat vaccinated much than six months ago. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, the No. 2 authorities authoritative down President Moon Jae-in, said during a microorganism gathering Wednesday that the interval volition beryllium reduced to 4 months for radical who are successful their 60s oregon older, and for patients successful nursing homes oregon semipermanent attraction hospitals. People successful their 50s volition beryllium eligible for booster shots aft 5 months, Kim said.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.