Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum has projected that the omicron wave currently sweeping the country will peak in around ten days with daily cases hovering around 370-thousand.

Kim made the remark on Friday during a government meeting on the COVID-19 response. He stressed that the government will place top priority on reducing severe COVID-19 cases and deaths to protect their lives in the culminating period.

The prime minister said starting next Monday, the government plans to allow hospitalized patients with underlying conditions that test positive for COVID-19 to receive treatment in general wards.

Also from Monday, Kim said people who test positive in rapid antigen kits administered by healthcare workers will no longer be required to take a PCR test to confirm their infection status. Still those aged 60 or older testing positive with a rapid antigen kit will be able to immediately get a prescription for treatments from the medical facility that carried out their test.

Friday marked the first time for the prime minister to chair the COVID-19 response meeting since he returned to work since testing positive for the virus last Thursday and undergoing self-treatment at home.