Health authorities said on Friday that the government is working on a medical and quarantine system that can cope with up to 300-thousand daily COVID-19 cases, noting the spread of the virus during a new wave of the pandemic shows no sign of abating. 

Second Vice Health and Welfare Minister Lee Ki-il made the remark while presiding over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. 

Lee said the reproduction number, or the average number of people infected by a single patient, is standing above one for the seventh consecutive week. He attributed the quick spread of the virus to an increase in people's movement in the summer vacation season. 

He said the government will not be obsessed with daily changes but rather work proactively in preventing a further hike in cases and do its best to minimize the number of deaths and serious cases. 

Regarding proactive measures, the vice minister said the government will ensure groups and facilities vulnerable to the virus such as the elderly, children and nursing homes as well as psychiatric wards will be further protected.