South Korea will dispatch around 800 military, police and government workers to support front-line health workers in dealing with COVID-19 in the greater Seoul area as the death toll and number of patients in critical care rose, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Friday.

The country on Friday reported 689 new COVID-19 cases, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said. Of the new cases, 673 were locally transmitted taking the total tally to 40,786, with 572 deaths.

The prime minister asked the public to visit and be tested at 150 makeshift centers installed throughout the capital area. "It is aimed at cutting off further transmissions and actively seeking out hidden virus carriers," Chung said.