Mongolia logs 2,347 new COVID-19 infections

ULAN BATOR, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia has recorded 2,347 new COVID-19 infections, including 22 imported ones over the past 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 406,118, the country's health ministry said Saturday.

More than half of the latest confirmed cases were detected in the national capital Ulan Bator, the hardest-hit area by COVID-19 and home to over half of the country's population of 3.4 million.

Meanwhile, the ministry added, two more COVID-19 related deaths were recorded in the past day, raising the death toll to 2,011.

In recent days, more than 2,000 COVID-19 infections have been reported per day in the country due to New Year's celebrations and the Omicron variant.

The Asian country confirmed its first imported and local Omicron cases last week, which indicates the beginning of a fourth wave of the pandemic in the country, health authorities said, urging the public to follow all relevant health guidelines.

So far, 66.6 percent of the country's population have received two COVID-19 vaccine doses, while more than 964,123 people aged over 18 have received a third dose.

At least 31,100 Mongolians have received a fourth dose, which the country started offering from Jan. 7 on a voluntary basis.