President Moon Jae-in ordered the government to exert all effort into creating omicron-tailored antivirus measures as the variant continues to spread in the country.

According to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee, President Moon, who's on a state visit to Egypt, gave the order Thursday while recognizing that the omicron variant is now the dominant strain in the country. 

Pointing out that severe COVID-19 cases continue to decline, the president showed confidence that South Koreans can defeat the variant together, as they have shown great strength over the past two years. 

He also expressed gratitude towards citizens and healthcare workers for their past efforts.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported over six-thousand new cases on Thursday, the first time they have hit that high since December 24, signaling the possible start of an omicron wave.