Confirmed Cases ↓· Recovered Patients ↑ … Is the COVID-19 Trend Changing?

47 Patients Discharged in One Day... 4 Additional Deaths
Sporadic Infections Confirmed Outside TK Region

[Asia Economy reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Kim Heung-soon, Jo Hyun-ui] A total of 438 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) were identified in South Korea on the 5th. Among them, 407 new patients were from the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, still accounting for the majority, while sporadic infections were also confirmed in other areas. The number of recovered patients reached 47, the highest since the counting began. As a result, the total number of patients released from isolation increased to 88. Four additional deaths were reported, bringing the total death toll to 36.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19, as of midnight on the day, the total number of confirmed cases was 5,766. In terms of daily new confirmed cases, the highest was 909 on the 29th of last month, and since then, the daily new cases had remained at around 500 to 600, but after six days, the number slightly decreased again to the 400 range. The cumulative confirmed cases in Daegu and Gyeongbuk reached 5,187, accounting for nearly 90% of the total cases nationwide.

Excluding Daegu and Gyeongbuk, nine new cases were confirmed each in Gyeonggi and Gyeongnam, followed by four new confirmed cases each in Seoul and Chungnam. In Daegu and Gyeongbuk, the large-scale cluster infections centered on members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, and the infection spread as these members came into contact with family and acquaintances. In other regions, the number of patients from small-scale cluster infections in churches, residential areas, academies, sports facilities, nursing homes, and hospitals is increasing. In Seoul, multiple cases were reported related to Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital and an apartment complex in Seongdong-gu; in Suwon, cases were linked to Saengmyeongsaem Church; and in Chungnam, many cases were associated with sports facilities in Cheonan. The health authorities are also conducting epidemiological investigations, considering these as cluster infection cases.

On the 5th, medical staff are conducting patient treatment simulation exercises in the COVID-19 patient ward set up at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Seoul St. Mary's Hospital has prepared a total of 30 beds in one ward for COVID-19 patients and suspected cases, and will start admitting COVID-19 patients from this day. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

With the health authorities easing the criteria for release from isolation, the number of recovered patients has also increased significantly. The number of patients released from isolation the previous day (41) exceeded the total number of recovered patients (34) counted from the first recovered patient in the country on the 5th of last month until the 3rd of this month. Previously, the authorities required that symptoms completely disappear and 48 hours pass before conducting two negative tests to release a patient from isolation. However, starting from the 2nd of this month, patients are released immediately if they test negative right after symptoms disappear. Since a considerable number of patients are presumed to be asymptomatic or mild cases, the health authorities expect the number of patients released from isolation to steadily increase for the time being.

Meanwhile, the government designated Gyeongsan City, which accounts for a significant portion of patients in the Gyeongbuk region, as a special infectious disease management area on this day. This is the third such designation following Cheongdo in Daegu and Gyeongbuk. Gyeongsan, adjacent to Daegu, experienced a cluster infection after a nursing assistant working at Seorin Nursing Home tested positive, with about ten additional cases confirmed. According to the health authorities, as of the previous day, 291 patients, accounting for 40% of the 752 patients in Gyeongbuk, were from Gyeongsan. About half of the 262 Shincheonji Church members infected in Gyeongbuk reside in Gyeongsan, indicating a high possibility of further spread, necessitating focused management, the government explained.

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