The average wait time for PCR test results has increased to 18 hours, according to health authorities on Wednesday.

Ko Jae-young, spokesperson for the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA), announced the time increase in a briefing on Wednesday, adding that the average return time for PCR test results was previously between 8 to 12 hours, before the daily PCR testing capacity was exceeded.

Earlier in the pandemic, KDCA projected a maximum daily PCR testing capacity of 850-thousand, but Tuesday saw roughly one million 50-thousand tests administered.

The increased time comes as public health center workers are overextended, according to Ko. To ease the workload, administrative personnel previously issuing negative test result certificates have now been reassigned to PCR test result notification.

The central government is also set to dispatch four-thousand personnel to assist public health center staff in order to speed up the notification process, added Ko.