1of7A man and a woman sit in a rest area with a clear dome installed on a shopping street in Tokyo, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. A bottle of disinfectant was also provided for the public to use.Hiro Komae/APShow MoreShow Less2of7A man and a woman pose for a selfie on a street illuminated with lightings on trees during "vehicle-free hours" in Tokyo, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. The annual illumination program was shut down at 8 p.m. for shorter hours to discourage people from staying in the crowd, as part of a precaution against the coronavirus.Hiro Komae/APShow MoreShow Less3of7Masked women stand in front of a coronavirus-themed Christmas tree decorated with masks and rubber gloves in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020.Hau Dinh/APShow MoreShow Less4of7Medical workers wearing protective gears prepare to take sample at a coronavirus testing site in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020.Lee Jin-man/APShow MoreShow Less5of7A masked security guard stands watch in front of a coronavirus-themed Christmas tree decorated with masks and rubber gloves in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020.Hau Dinh/APShow MoreShow Less6of7A woman wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus poses for a photo near a Christmas decoration in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020.Lee Jin-man/APShow MoreShow Less7of7A woman wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus takes a photo near a Christmas decoration in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020.Lee Jin-man/APShow MoreShow Less
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea has reported its largest daily increase in coronavirus infections on Christmas Day, as the prime minister pleaded for vigilance to arrest a viral surge that has worsened hospitalization and deaths.
The 1,241 new cases confirmed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Friday brought the country’s caseload to 54,770. Seventeen COVID-19 patients died in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 773.
More than 870 of the new cases were from the greater capital area, home to half of the country’s 51 million population, where nearly 300 infections so far have been linked to a huge prison in Seoul. Clusters have been popping up from just about everywhere in recent weeks, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, churches, restaurants and army units.
The country has been expanding its mass testing program to slow the rate of transmissions and more than 118,000 tests were conducted on Thursday alone. Officials are also clamping down on private gatherings through Jan. 3, shutting down national parks and ski resorts and setting fines for restaurants if they receive groups of five people or more.
“The last week of the year that begins with Christmas is normally a time where people gather and share their affection with one another, but it’s hard to see that this year in any parts of the world,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a virus meeting.
