The number of suspected flu patients continued to rise over the past four weeks, particularly among school-age children, reaching 14 times the figure recorded during the same period last year.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Friday that 66-point-three of every one-thousand outpatients between November 9 and 15 were suspected influenza cases.

The figure marks a 30-point-eight percent rise from the previous week’s 50-point-seven.

Suspected flu cases have been steadily rising since seven-point-nine per one thousand were counted in the 42nd week of this year. The figure for the 46th week was 14-point-four times higher than the one logged in the same period of last year.

Suspected flu cases were highest among children aged seven to 12, with 170-point-four cases per one thousand patients, followed by those aged 13 to 18, with 112-point-six per one-thousand patients.

Health authorities are urging the public to receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations ahead of winter.