S.Korean president urges rapid administration of booster shots 

South Korean President, Moon Jae-in has urged a rapid administration of booster shots against the COVID-19 as the eased anti-virus rules raised the number of severe cases and deaths.

Moon presided over a COVID-19 response meeting, saying the country’s pandemic situation got serious amid the higher number of new infections, severe cases and deaths, as well as fewer hospital beds for severe patients.

The government launched the “Living with COVID-19” rules in November to alleviate anti-virus measures following the country’s full vaccination rate topping 70 percent.

With the eased social-distancing guideline, the confirmed cases surged for the past month.

In the latest tally, South Korea reported 3,309 more cases of COVID-19 for the past 24 hours, lifting the total number of infections to 444,200.

The number of infected people who were in a serious condition surpassed 600, while 32 more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 3,580.

According to Moon, “It would be important to inoculate the unvaccinated, emphasizing that getting the third dose of COVID-19 vaccines would be as important as inoculating the unvaccinated.

“A third dose is not an additional shot but a basic shot. The way of thinking needs to be changed that the vaccination can be completed only after receiving the third jab,” said Moon.

Moon ordered officials to secure more hospital beds for severe patients and move up the date of introducing pills for COVID-19 treatment, originally scheduled for February next year.

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Kamila/Xinhua