S.Korea's daily COVID count tops 8,000 for first time amid Omicron spread

FILE PHOTO: Commuters walk on a zebra crossing during snowfall, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in central Seoul, South Korea, January 17, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's daily count of new coronavirus cases topped 8,000 for the first time on Tuesday, as the highly contagious Omicron variant spreads rapidly despite the recent extension of strict social-distancing rules to slow infection.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 8,571 cases for Monday, exceeding the previous peak posted in mid-December of 7,848.