South Korea's disease control agency said Thursday it has decided to issue an influenza alert this week amid an increasing number of patients.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the alert will be issued starting Friday, under which the institution will bolster its monitoring of local infections and promote related vaccinations.

The announcement came after the number of people infected with influenza per 1,000 patients among sampled hospitals reached 13.6 last week, surpassing the epidemic threshold of 8.6.

"To prepare for additional influenza outbreaks during the winter season, we advise older adults and other vulnerable people to receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations," KDCA Commissioner Jee Young-mee said in a press release.

"The KDCA will also maintain an emergency response team with the medical community and related government bodies until outbreaks of infectious respiratory diseases are stabilized," Jee added. (Yonhap)