Health authorities said they will expand an existing response team against COVID-19 amid a forecast that the spread of the viral infection could peak toward the end of the summer holiday season in late August.

On a local radio program on Tuesday, Hong Jeong-il, head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's(KDCA) infectious disease policy, said the return of people from summer break and vacation could have an impact on prevalence of the infectious disease.

While monitoring the situation, the KDCA will seek to control the spread of the virus through expanded operation of the response team, and purchase of treatment within this month.

Amid concerns over a shortage of COVID-19 testing kits, the KDCA official said while there had been a temporary shortage, kit makers have expanded their production to meet the growing demand.

Winter season COVID-19 vaccinations will proceed starting October as previously planned, with the vaccines to be provided free-of-charge for seniors aged 65 or older deemed to be at high risk.

The government does not plan to immediately raise the COVID-19 crisis level as the current KP.3 variant of the virus is not considered to have high severity and fatality rates.