Health authorities project that 90 percent of the elderly and 80 percent of all adults in South Korea will be fully vaccinated by the end of October, fulfilling a precondition to shift to the so-called “with corona” system.

Announcing vaccination plans for the fourth quarter, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said while infections continue to rise, the rate of severe cases and hospitalizations remain steady. It promised to make preparations for a step-by-step transition into normal life.

The agency said 87 percent of seniors 60 and older have currently completed shots which will go up to 90 percent by next month.

For adults 18 and older, the rate stands at 53 percent but it is anticipated to hit 80 by end-October given the pace of reservations and the reduced time between the first and second doses.

Authorities said that based on modeling projections, once these levels are reached, the number of new infections and critically ill patients will both go down.

The "with corona" system refers to placing greater focus on managing severe cases over suppressing new ones. Despite an ongoing post-Chuseok surge, the government believes it can still consider a transition to this system from late October.