Government: "COVID-19 Peak Passing Gradually"... 'Special Quarantine' Effect, Daily Cases Decrease

Average Daily New Cases in the Region Down by 85 Compared to a Week Ago
Infection Reproduction Number Also Drops to '1'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 3rd, the government judged that the domestic spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is gradually being suppressed and that the peak is passing gently.

Son Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Division of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, explained at a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office on March 3, "As a result of expanding proactive COVID-19 testing and continuously strengthening social distancing, the spread of the third wave is being contained."

Regarding the recent trend of new confirmed cases, he analyzed that it is somewhat declining. Son said, "Currently, we judge that we are either at a turning point in a temporary peak state or passing it gently."

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the average daily number of locally transmitted confirmed cases over the past week until the 2nd was 931.3. Compared to 1,017 cases in the previous week, this is a decrease of more than 80 cases. The average daily number of elderly patients aged 60 and over, classified as a 'high-risk group,' was 284.1, down by 34 compared to a week ago.

The government also positively evaluated the decrease in the number of cluster infections and transmission indicators. The number of newly occurring cluster outbreak cases in the past week was 21, significantly down from 53 cases a week earlier, and the infection reproduction number dropped from 1.11 to 1.00.

However, considering the effect of reduced testing volume during the holidays, it is too early to determine whether this trend will continue. Son said, "Considering the decrease in testing volume between holidays and weekends, it is premature to conclude that the trend has definitively shifted to a decline," and added, "Given the wide community transmission characteristic of this wave, the rate of decline will be very gradual."

He also stated, "If we reduce the scale of the outbreak as much as possible in January, from February onward, aggressive defense will be possible through therapeutics and vaccine inoculation," urging continuous cooperation with the government's quarantine measures.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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