As of 6 PM, 352 COVID-19 Cases Nationwide... 400s Expected Tomorrow

On the 16th, when the government announced special quarantine measures for the Seoul metropolitan area, citizens and foreign workers lined up at a temporary COVID-19 testing site set up in Guro Station Plaza, Seoul, to get tested. The Seoul Metropolitan Government issued an administrative order requiring foreign workers to undergo COVID-19 testing from the 17th to the 31st. Accordingly, employers who hire even one foreign worker and the foreign workers themselves must undergo COVID-19 testing, and employers who do not comply with the administrative order will be fined. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] On the 16th, as the spread of COVID-19 continued, confirmed cases were reported across the country.

According to the quarantine authorities, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and other local governments, a total of 352 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were recorded domestically from midnight to 6 p.m. on that day. This is 78 more than the 274 cases recorded during the same time frame the previous day.

By region, 257 cases (73.0%) were in the metropolitan area, and 95 cases (27.0%) were in non-metropolitan areas. By city and province, there were 136 cases in Gyeonggi, 102 in Seoul, 41 in Gyeongnam, 19 in Incheon, 15 in Daegu, 10 in Busan, 9 in Gangwon, 5 in Chungbuk, 4 in Gyeongbuk, 3 each in Ulsan and Jeonbuk, 2 in Chungnam, and 1 each in Gwangju, Daejeon, and Jeju. No confirmed cases have yet been reported in Sejong and Jeonnam.

Since the tally continues until midnight, the number of new confirmed cases announced at 0:00 on the 17th is expected to increase to around 400. On the previous day, 89 additional cases were reported after 6 p.m., bringing the final total to 363.

Over the past week (March 10?16), the daily new confirmed cases were 470 → 465 → 488 → 490 → 459 → 382 → 363, averaging about 445 cases per day.

The weekly average of locally transmitted cases, a key indicator for adjusting social distancing levels, is approximately 427, re-entering the Level 2.5 range (nationwide 400 to 500 or more cases).

Among major infection cases, the cumulative confirmed cases related to the sauna in Jinju, Gyeongnam, increased to 189. Other new infection cases were reported at ▲ Ulsan City sauna (cumulative 53 cases) ▲ Cheongju City, Chungbuk, Cheonsu Sauna (46 cases) ▲ Donghae City, Gangwon, Hanaro Mart (14 cases) ▲ Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 'The Hyundai Seoul' (2 cases), among others.

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