In Korea, the number of COVID-19 inpatients has increased sixfold in just four weeks.

The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the Republic of Korea has been increasing sharply, signaling a resurgence of the virus nationwide during the summer months. According to Yonhap News Agency, health authorities reported that 861 people were admitted to hospitals for COVID-19 in the first week of August, marking the highest level since early February. This figure has risen rapidly from 148 in the second week of July to 226 in the third week and 475 the following week. Health authorities anticipate that this upward trend will continue until the end of this month.

The latest wave of infections has been attributed to the KP.3 subvariant of the omicron variant, which has been spreading rapidly and accounted for 45.5 percent of the total cases as of July.