South Korea today reported a massive jump in COVD-19 cases, which topped 600,000, as Omicron surges continue in a handful of Asian hot spots.Meanwhile, in the United States, President Joe Biden today named a new White House COVID-19 coordinator to replace Jeff Zients, who has held the position over the last 14 months.Deaths remain low in South KoreaSouth Korea today reported its highest single-day total, which at 621,328, was up sharply from 400,714 the previous day.
Officials also reported a daily high for deaths, with 429 more fatalities. Lee Sang-won, with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said daily cases are tracking far higher than officials expected, according to Reuters.The country is known for its strong public health response, especially contact tracing and testing.
Though testing is still widespread, contact tracing and some other measures have been scaled back. Officials will consider scaling back measures tomorrow.Officials also said high vaccine uptake, with 63% of people boosted, has limited deaths.Hong Kong struggles with high fatalitiesIn Hong Kong, the pace of new infections and deaths continued at a very high level, with 21,650 new cases and 202 more deaths.
The country is experiencing one of the world's highest death rates, partly linked to vaccine gaps in vulnerable older groups.Officials today announced plans to scale up mortuary capacity and speed the processing of bodies.