COVID-19 variant cases top 2,200 in S. Korea, Delta strain nearing 200

SEOUL, June 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Tuesday reported 261 additional cases of COVID-19 variants over the past week, including 227 local infections, raising such cases to 2,225 in total, with the number of the muted strain believed to have originated from India nearing 200.

Of the newly identified variant cases, 223 people were confirmed to have been infected with the variant believed to have originated in Britain, followed by the Delta variant, which originated from India with 35, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

Among locally transmitted cases, Seoul accounted for 25 cases, and Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital city took up 35. There were also 25 infections from the southeastern city of Daegu.

Health authorities said more cases of coronavirus variants are being locally transmitted, and there may be more hidden cases, stoking concerns that the country's virus fight may face hurdles in containing the pandemic amid the accelerating vaccination drive.

Of the variant cases reported so far, the Britain-originated variant took up the largest slice of 1,886 cases. Variants from India took up 190, trailed by South Africa with 142 and Brazil with seven.

Since May, 3,303 South Koreans have returned home from India through chartered flights. Among them, 80 people tested positive, with 19 being infected with the Delta variant, according to the KDCA.

Meanwhile, a total of 15.03 million people, or 29.3 percent of the country's 51.3 million population, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines since the vaccine rollout in late February.

Four million, or 8.1 percent of the population, were fully inoculated as of Tuesday.

The country aims to inoculate 36 million with at least one jab by September in order to achieve herd immunity in November.

colin@yna.co.kr
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