Health authorities say that while COVID-19 vaccinations are picking up speed, the rate is still a ways away from what is required to curb community infections.

In a Monday briefing, Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA), underlined that it is when at least 70 percent of the country's population has had their first shots that it may be possible to stem the spread.

According to Jeong, that number is currently at 23 percent, which remains insufficient to prevent new infections in local communities. This vaccinated group includes most seniors, medical workers and first responders.

Referring to the situation in the U.K., Jeong noted that although 60 percent of the people there  received their first vaccine dose, the country is seeing a rise in cases due to the Delta variant first identified in India.

South Korea's vaccination task force predicts that by the end of this week, more than 13 million people will have received their first shot.