Three Consecutive Days of Over 500 Cases... Non-Capital Region Spread Raises Alarm

Sporadic Cluster Infections Continue
Busan Raises Social Distancing to Level 2 from the 2nd

Citizens are waiting to get tested for COVID-19 at the Jung-gu temporary screening clinic set up in Seoul Station Plaza. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] As daily new COVID-19 cases continue to stay in the 500s, concerns are rising that this may be a precursor to the fourth major wave. In particular, the rapid increase in cases outside the metropolitan area is heightening the vigilance of health authorities.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced on the 2nd that as of midnight, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 558 from the previous day to 104,194. This marks the third consecutive day with cases in the 500s.

While the embers of the third wave have not yet been extinguished, cluster infections continue, causing daily new cases, which had been maintained at 300-400 during February and March, to rise into the 500s. Moreover, as the weather warms, spring outings are increasing, and factors such as Easter, Ramadan, by-elections, and the spread of variant viruses are also considered risk factors.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, presiding over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting, stated, "We must not repeat the situation last winter when the third wave intensified and the number of cases in the 500s doubled in just five days." He urged, "Since outings and movement are expected to increase further over this weekend, which includes Easter, please maintain vigilance regarding quarantine measures."

Recently, sporadic cluster infections have continued outside the metropolitan area, significantly increasing the proportion of infections there. Of the 533 newly confirmed local cases reported that day, 343 (64.4%) occurred in the metropolitan area, and 190 (35.6%) occurred outside it. The proportion of cases outside the metropolitan area, which had typically been around 30% this year, surged to as high as 41.5% on the 31st of last month.

Yoon Tae-ho, head of the Central Accident Response Headquarters' quarantine team, analyzed, "Until last week, the metropolitan area accounted for more than 70-80% of new cases, and the non-metropolitan area was below 30%, but this week the proportion outside the metropolitan area has increased." Kwon Jun-wook, the CDCH's second deputy director, also diagnosed the current situation as a crisis, saying, "The patterns are diverse to the extent that it is impossible to clearly limit the leading clusters to specific regions or within regions."

On the morning of the first day of early voting for the April 7 by-elections, citizens are receiving sanitary gloves at a polling station set up at Yeonje District Office in Busan. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Currently, the non-metropolitan areas are maintaining social distancing at level 1.5, but as sporadic cluster infections continue, some areas are raising their distancing levels.

Busan has applied social distancing level 2, the same as the metropolitan area, starting today. Since 56 cases were reported in the region on the 28th of last month, daily cases have consistently been in the 50s, pushing the weekly daily average to over 47. As of the 1st, new or ongoing cluster infections include 136 cases related to karaoke bars, 51 cases at a senior welfare center in Yeonje-gu, and 18 cases related to workplaces in Dongnae-gu. However, on the 2nd, new cases slightly decreased to 35.

Additionally, Jinju and Geoje cities in Gyeongnam, Jeungpyeong County in Chungbuk, and Donghae City in Gangwon have also raised their distancing to level 2 due to increased cases from cluster outbreaks. Yoon explained, "With spring, mobility itself is increasing, and public fatigue from the prolonged COVID-19 response is high. In some regions, the impact of variant viruses is causing patient numbers to rise gradually." He added, "We plan to review the situation this week and discuss further adjustments to distancing levels thereafter."

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