South Korea’s daily virus jump exceeds 7,000 for 1st time

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — New coronavirus infections in South Korea exceeded 7,000 for the first time since the start of the pandemic as hours-long lines snaked around testing stations in the capital Seoul amid a worsening virus crisis. More than 5,600 of the new 7,175 cases were reported in Seoul and the nearby metropolitan region, where a delta-driven surge has led to a shortage of hospital beds and strained an already depleted health care workforce. The country’s death toll exceeded 4,000 after 63 virus patients died in the past 24 hours. The 840 patients in serious or critical conditions were an all-time high.