<중대본> "Improvement in COVID-19 Management Indicators... Increase in Imported Confirmed Cases"

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Recent data over the past two weeks show that most domestic indicators related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have improved.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) on the 19th, the daily average number of newly confirmed domestic cases over the past two weeks from the 5th to the 18th of this month was 21.4, a decrease of 9.6 from 31.0 during the previous two weeks (6.21?7.4).

In particular, during the last week (7.12?7.18), the daily number of newly confirmed domestic cases was in the teens (15.9), showing a clear downward trend in new infections.

During the same period, the daily average number of confirmed cases in the Seoul metropolitan area was 10.2, down 9.1 from 19.3 in the previous two weeks. The proportion of 'unknown transmission' cases, whose infection routes could not be clearly identified, decreased from 8.7% to 7.8%. The number of new cluster infections also dropped from 16 to 9.

The 'patient management rate within the quarantine network,' which refers to the proportion of newly confirmed cases detected while in self-quarantine, also approached 80%.

As the risk level in the Seoul metropolitan area decreased, the government decided to partially ease strengthened quarantine measures starting from the 20th, including the limited reopening of public facilities such as museums, art galleries, and libraries.

However, imported cases from abroad are increasing. The daily average number of imported confirmed cases over the past two weeks was 27.4, an increase of 11.6 from 15.8 during the previous two weeks.

The increase in imported cases is largely attributed to foreign workers, crew members who arrived for shift changes, and Korean construction workers who entered from Iraq testing positive.

The CDSCH explained, "Although the domestic spread of COVID-19 is being relatively stably suppressed and control over the quarantine network is being restored, patients continue to occur in the Seoul metropolitan and Honam regions, and small cluster infections through workplaces and social gatherings persist, so it is not the time to lower vigilance."

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