The government has called on citizens to get vaccinated and follow social distancing rules, pointing out that the number of COVID-19 cases in the capital region is on the rise.

Son Young-rae, a senior health ministry official, said during a briefing on Thursday that infection trends over the past week show the majority of cases centered in the greater Seoul area with four-point-six cases reported per 100-thousand people. This is double the rate for non-capital regions.

Son, however, forecast that the fourth wave will likely peak in mid-September and start to subside given the current pace of vaccinations.

He added that this month will be critical in containing the latest uptick of the pandemic, once again urging nationwide support and participation in anti-virus measures.