COVID-19 Cases Exceed 4,000... Daegu Alone Has 3,081 (Comprehensive)

1,000 More Cases in Two Days... 24 Deaths

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Kim Heung-soon, Jo Hyun-ui] On the 2nd, the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea exceeded 4,000. This increase of about 1,000 cases came just 42 days after the first patient was reported on January 20 and only two days after surpassing 3,000 cases on the 29th of last month. The number of deaths among confirmed patients rose by 6 from the previous afternoon, totaling 24. Daegu Metropolitan City, where a cluster infection centered around the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, surpassed 3,000 cumulative cases.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for COVID-19, as of 0:00 AM on this day, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Korea was 4,212. This is an increase of 476 cases from 3,736 as of 4:00 PM the previous day, exceeding 4,000. The cumulative number of patients has been increasing by about 1,000 every day or two since surpassing 1,000 on the 26th of last month. Due to the rapid increase in cases, the authorities simplified the announcement of additional confirmed cases starting this day. The daily report released at 10:00 AM now reflects cases from 0:00 AM of the same day instead of from 4:00 PM the previous day to 9:00 AM the next day. Instead, the report released at 5:00 PM reflects cases occurring from 0:00 AM to 4:00 PM of the same day. The frequency of regional confirmed case statistics was also reduced from twice a day to once a day to reduce the time required for data collection and analysis and to focus on quarantine efforts.

In Daegu, 377 new cases were reported from 4:00 PM the previous day to 0:00 AM on this day, bringing the cumulative total to 3,081. In Gyeongbuk Province, where a cluster infection occurred centered on Cheongdo Daenam Hospital, cases increased by 68 to 624. The total number of cases in Daegu and Gyeongbuk reached 3,705, accounting for nearly 88% of the total cases nationwide.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the total number of deaths as of this morning was 22. Additionally, two more deaths were reported in Daegu last night and early this morning, bringing the cumulative death toll to 24.

Meanwhile, Lee Nak-yeon, Chair of the COVID-19 Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, at a joint meeting of the COVID-19 Countermeasures Committee and the Supreme Council held at the National Assembly on this day, stated, "The majority of confirmed cases in the country are coming from the Shincheonji Church, and the rapid spread is related to Shincheonji." He requested the Shincheonji side to "provide Shincheonji-owned facilities as living treatment centers for asymptomatic and mild patients affiliated with Shincheonji and take responsibility for their operation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.