South Korea's Health Minister Describes Seoul As A 'COVID-19 War Zone'

South Korea is awaiting new social distancing measures, due to take effect Tuesday evening, as earlier measures have failed to bring new coronavirus case numbers down. The government warns of an impending crisis, brought on by a third wave of infections.

New cases reported Monday exceeded 600 for the second day in a row, bringing the total to more than 38,000, with about 550 deaths.

While such numbers look almost enviable by international standards, mathematical modeling suggests that if new measures fail to do the trick, new cases could reach 900 next week, roughly on par with the country's first peak in February.

"The capital area is now a COVID-19 war zone," Health Minister Park Neung-hoo warned Monday at a government meeting. Seoul and its environs are home to about half the country's population, and most of the recent infections.

The country's medical system is showing signs of stress, with only 55 ICU beds still available nationwide.