The government projects daily COVID-19 infections could soar to up to 12-thousand during the winter holiday season from the end of this year to the beginning of next year.

According to a report by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, daily new cases could rise to eight or nine-thousand by the year-end and surpass ten-thousand at the end of January, if the situation worsens.

The National Institute for Mathematical Sciences laid out even higher figures, projecting over 12-thousand daily infections by December 31, and over one-thousand-770 severe cases.

Senior health ministry official Son Young-rae said authorities are closely monitoring for when figures start to plateau or slow down, and that they're mulling over additional measures and the timing of implementation.