South Korea's military reported 12 additional COVID-19 cases Saturday amid growing concerns over the new omicron variant, raising the total caseload among military personnel to 2,488.
  
The new cases were reported from the Army, the South Korea-US Combined Forces and units under the direct control of the Ministry of National Defense, according to the ministry.
  
Eleven of the 12 patients were fully vaccinated, bringing the total number of such breakthrough infections in the military to 766.
  
South Korea's daily coronavirus cases recorded an all-time high of 5,352 on Saturday, about a month after the country started its first phase of the "living with COVID-19" scheme for a gradual return to normal life.
  
Amid the spike in the new daily cases and growing fears of the new variant, the government decided Friday to limit private gatherings to six people in the capital area and eight in other regions and introduce some other COVID-19 restrictions for four weeks starting Monday. (Yonhap)