With daily new COVID-19 cases surpassing 300-thousand for the second consecutive day, health authorities forecast that the current spike in COVID-19 cases may approach its peak this week ultimately reaching an apex some time next week.  
 
Lee Sang-won, official of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, outlined the agency's analysis in a regular briefing on Thursday.
 
He said the peak of the current wave may persist over the next two weeks before starting a decline, adding that the peak phase will not likely end quickly but will last for a while.
 
Health authorities stressed that vaccination is still the most effective means against the omicron variant, which now accounts for nearly 100 percent of all COVID-19 cases in Korea.