The government now projects an average of around 150-thousand new daily infections during the peak of the latest COVID-19 wave, lowering its earlier estimate.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters said on Thursday that the current wave of COVID-19 is expected to peak some time in August, with the number of new daily cases remaining below the 200-thousand range. The government had previously projected daily cases to peak at over 250-thousand.

Health authorities said, however, that the slowing trend of infections could plateau for quite some time at a higher level than the spring, when cases dropped significantly after the omicron wave. Citing that the reproduction rate still exceeds one, they explained that the virus is still spreading.

The government added that immunity will steadily drop over time, and the situation may vary depending on several factors, such as the emergence of new variants and increased social contact during the holidays.