COVID-19 New Cases, 253 Nationwide by 6 PM... 59 Fewer Than Previous Day

Seoul 96 - Gyeonggi 88 - Incheon 9, Total 193 in the Capital Area, 60 Outside the Capital Area

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] On the first day of March, the 1st, COVID-19 cases continued to be confirmed across the country.

According to the quarantine authorities and local governments including Seoul City, from midnight to 6 p.m. on this day, a total of 253 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were recorded nationwide. This is 59 fewer than the 312 cases recorded at the same time the previous day.

Looking at the regions where confirmed cases were reported, 193 cases (76.3%) were in the metropolitan area, and 60 cases (23.7%) were in non-metropolitan areas. By city/province, Seoul reported 96 cases, Gyeonggi 88, Busan 15, Daegu 11, Incheon 9, Gyeongbuk 7, Chungbuk 6, Chungnam, Gyeongnam, and Jeonbuk each 4, Jeju 3, Gangwon 2, and Daejeon, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Jeonnam each 1. Among the 17 cities and provinces nationwide, Sejong has not yet reported any confirmed cases.

Recently, the number of new confirmed cases has fluctuated between 300 and 400, showing neither a sharp increase nor a clear decrease. From the 23rd of last month to this day, the daily new confirmed cases over the past week were 356 → 440 → 395 → 388 → 415 → 356 → 355. Among these, the daily average of locally transmitted cases, a key indicator for adjusting the 'social distancing' level, was 365, maintaining the Level 2 range (nationwide exceeding 300 cases).

The quarantine authorities are closely monitoring the situation, considering the possibility of an increase in case numbers due to the easing of distancing measures and increased mobility during the spring outing season.

Regarding major infection cases on this day, infections that started in workplaces or medical institutions were confirmed to have spread sequentially to colleagues and family members. At the Raine Life Insurance call center in Gwangju, after the first confirmed case on the 22nd of last month, a total of 63 people have been infected as of this day. At a printing company in Paju, Gyeonggi, 7 people tested positive, increasing the cumulative infections to 9.

In Busan, related to Haedong Hospital in Yeongdo-gu, which is under partial cohort isolation, 7 additional infections were confirmed among discharged patients' coworkers, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to 25. Additionally, in places where cluster infections had previously occurred, such as the Kiturami Boiler manufacturing plant in Asan, Chungnam (cumulative 200 cases) and a fitness center in Jeonju, Jeonbuk (49 cases), confirmed cases continue to rise daily.

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