The rate of vaccination against COVID-19 is displayed in the form of a temperature tower at an intersection in Gwangjin-gu district, Seoul in South Korea on January 12. Photo: VCG

 South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases exceeded 13,000 for the first time on Wednesday, driven by the spread of the Omicron variant, as the government launched a new pilot testing scheme to meet skyrocketing demand.

The record 13,012 cases for the previous 24-hour period came just a day after the tally first topped 8,000 despite the extension of tough social-distancing rules.

The highly contagious but less lethal Omicron became the dominant variant in South Korea last week, and the daily numbers could more than double or surge to even higher levels in the coming weeks, health officials warned.

"Going forward, our top priority is to reduce critically ill patients and deaths," Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum told an inter-ministry meeting on Wednesday.

The government introduced a new testing policy in four designated cities on a pilot basis, under which only priority groups take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test while others can get a rapid antigen test at a local clinic for faster initial diagnosis.

The program will be scaled up starting Saturday to enable 256 state-run testing stations nationwide to distribute the rapid antigen self-test kits, Kim said.  Another 430 local clinics will be added next week.

As part of efforts to free up resources for serious patients, the government has also cut mandatory isolation for people who have been vaccinated but tested positive to seven days from 10, and expanded self-treatment at home for asymptomatic and mild cases.

Son Young-rae, a health ministry official, said more than 80 percent of intensive care unit beds are available nationwide, compared with some 20 percent in early December when record-breaking infections threatened to saturate the country's medical system.

South Korea is currently carrying out 400,000-500,000 PCR tests a day, but has capacity for 800,000, Son added.

President Moon Jae-in also met with aides on Wednesday to oversee the government's efforts.

South Korea, with a population of 52 million, has largely been successful in mitigating COVID-19, with 762,983 total infections and 6,620 deaths.