All-time high new virus cases on Christmas call for tightest restrictions

Korea's new Covid-19 cases hit broke the 1,200 range for the first time on Friday, pressing the health authorities to raise the social distancing regime to Level 3, the highest of the five-tier system.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KCDA) confirmed 1,241 new Covid-19 patients, including 1,216 local infections. The cumulative caseload went up to 54,770 as of midnight Thursday. Imported cases decreased to 25 from 30 reported in the previous day.

Seventeen patients died of coronavirus, pushing the accumulated death toll to 773.

The number of locally infected people increased significantly as the nation saw its tally rise by 256 from the previous day.

An additional 288 cases were confirmed at the Seoul Eastern District Detention Center, where former President Lee Myung-bak and many other convicted officials under the previous administrations are serving their time, pushing the total to 514. The infected inmates with mild or no symptoms are isolated and managed intensively by healthcare providers.

Korea has banned gatherings of five or more people across the country in the most stringent social distancing rules meant to contain the virus's spread.

The government also shut down ski resorts and popular venues for watching the sunrise on New Year's Day to slow the spread of the virus during the Christmas and New Year's holiday season.

The nation has been applying Level 2.5 social distancing rules, the second-highest of the five-tier system, in the greater Seoul area, home to half of its 51.6 million population, and Level 2 rules in the rest of the country.

The government will decide whether to adopt the highest social distancing level this weekend.

On Monday, KDAC Commissioner Jung Eun-kyeong warned that the number of new Covid-19 patients could reach 1,200 next week based on the statistics. However, such a situation came even earlier than Jung had expected.

At a daily task force meeting on Friday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, "It is difficult to avoid mass transmissions if confirmed patients emerge living together at a small space," asking the military and correctional facilities to doublecheck the prevention measures to find asymptomatic spreaders.

Chung reiterated his requests that the public faithfully takes part in preventing further infections during the holidays.

President Moon Jae-in also said, "Many are no longer with us due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and there still are those in sickbeds receiving treatment. I appreciate every Korean for cooperating with the health authorities despite enormous convenience and economic difficulties."

Churches and cathedrals held non-face-to-face Christmas services and masses for the first time amid the relentless pandemic spread.

An additional 623 patients fully recovered and returned to their everyday lives, increasing the total to 38,048. However, 15,949 Covid-19 patients are still under quarantine receiving treatment. The country has tested 3,939,357 people since Jan. 3.