Domestic COVID-19 New Cases 967... Cumulative Total Surpasses 60,000 (Update)

Below 1,000 in Three Days
Cumulative Deaths Reach 900

Medical staff are collecting specimens at a temporary drive-through screening clinic set up at Magok Sports Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] On the 31st, 967 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) were additionally identified in South Korea. After recording over 1,000 cases for two consecutive days recently, the number slightly dropped to the mid-900s, but it is difficult to say that the spread has been curbed. The total cumulative confirmed cases in the country have surpassed 60,000.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on this day, 967 new COVID-19 cases were added, bringing the cumulative total to 60,740. Of these, 940 were locally transmitted cases and 27 were imported cases.

The daily confirmed cases in South Korea over the past week from the 25th of this month to this day were 1,241 → 1,132 → 970 → 807 → 1,045 → 1,050 → 967 respectively. The number of new confirmed cases exceeding 100 has continued for 54 consecutive days since the 8th of last month.

Among the locally transmitted cases on this day, 365 were in Seoul, 219 in Gyeonggi, and 59 in Incheon, totaling 643 cases in the metropolitan area alone. Confirmed cases were reported in all 13 other cities and provinces except Sejong. Outside the metropolitan area, the cases were counted as 72 in Busan, 36 in Gangwon, 35 in Ulsan, 32 in Daegu, 22 each in Chungbuk, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam, 17 in Chungnam, 11 in Jeonbuk, 9 in Jeju, 8 in Gwangju, 6 in Daejeon, and 5 in Jeonnam.

Of the 27 imported confirmed cases, 13 were detected during quarantine, and the remaining 14 were identified in local communities. Fourteen were Korean nationals and 13 were foreigners.

The number of deaths increased by 21 from the previous day, reaching a cumulative total of 900. Among hospitalized confirmed patients, the number of critically ill patients in severe condition was 344, an increase of 12 from the previous day. The number of patients who have been declared recovered and released from isolation was 42,271, an increase of 836 from the previous day.

Meanwhile, the number of diagnostic tests conducted in one day was 54,358, which is 6,985 fewer than the previous day's 61,343 tests. The positivity rate calculated based on the number of tests conducted the previous day was 1.78% (967 out of 54,358), slightly higher than the previous day's 1.71% (1,050 out of 61,343). At temporary screening clinics set up in the metropolitan area, 40,724 free anonymous tests were conducted the previous day, and 133 new confirmed cases were identified through tests conducted the day before. Since the 14th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases identified at temporary screening clinics has reached 1,700.

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