S. Korean COVID deaths rise, hope rests on high booster rate

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea is reporting its most COVID-19 deaths in a month as the U.S. advises Americans to avoid traveling to the country grappling with a omicron surge. The country reported 61 deaths Tuesday and its 57,000 new cases were another one-day record. While the omicron variant so far seems less likely to cause serious illness or death, the greater scale of the outbreak is fueling concerns that hospitalizations and fatalities could spike. A health ministry official says hospital resources are stable, with less than 27% of COVID-19 intensive care units occupied. South Korea has a high vaccination rate, with nearly 58% of the population having received boosters, so officials hope that will prevent hospital systems from buckling.