544 Cases Nationwide by 6 PM, 69 Fewer Than Yesterday... Around 700 Expected Tomorrow

368 Cases in the Capital Area, 176 Cases in Non-Capital Areas
'Everyday Infections' Continue to Spread

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] As the spread of COVID-19 continues, new confirmed cases are being reported nationwide on the 28th.

According to the quarantine authorities, Seoul city, and other local governments, a total of 544 new COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed nationwide from midnight to 6 p.m. on this day.

This is 69 fewer than the 613 cases recorded at the same time the previous day.

By region, 368 cases (67.6%) were reported in the Seoul metropolitan area, and 176 cases (32.4%) in non-metropolitan areas.

By city and province, Seoul reported 190 cases, Gyeonggi 155, Busan and Ulsan 31 each, Gyeongnam 29, Gyeongbuk 26, Incheon 23, Daegu 16, Gangwon and Chungnam 11 each, Jeonbuk and Chungbuk 6 each, Gwangju 4, Daejeon 3, and Jeonnam and Jeju 1 each.

Among the 17 cities and provinces nationwide, Sejong has not yet reported any confirmed cases.

Since there is still time until midnight when the tally closes, the number of new confirmed cases announced at 0:00 on the 29th is expected to increase to around 700, possibly reaching the low to mid-700s.

The previous day saw an increase of 162 cases after 6 p.m., closing at a total of 775 cases.

Recent patterns of new confirmed cases show a decrease in testing over weekends and holidays, leading to a drop in cases in the early week, followed by a sharp increase from midweek onward, a recurring trend.

In particular, with sporadic infections continuing nationwide and springtime mobility increasing, there are concerns that the number may soon rise to the 800s.

On the 25th, citizens lined up in a long queue at the temporary screening clinic set up in Seoul Station Plaza to get tested. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight that day, there were 644 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, marking the first time in five days that the number fell below 700. This was influenced by the weekend, during which the number of tests conducted decreased. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

From the 22nd to this day, the daily new confirmed cases over the past week were 735 → 797 → 785 → 644 → 499 → 512 → 775, averaging about 678 cases per day.

Among these, the average daily locally transmitted cases, a key indicator for adjusting the 'social distancing' level and gauging community spread, reached about 648, placing it within the 2.5 level range (nationwide 400?500 or more cases).

Major infection cases include numerous cluster infections occurring in everyday life spaces such as workplaces, academies, and homes.

In Seoul, 13 new cases were linked to an office in Gwanak-gu, and 10 new cases were reported at an academy in Gangnam-gu.

Additionally, five employees at the Incheon Airport National Quarantine Station tested positive.

In Daejeon, six family members were infected linked to an elementary school student confirmed positive, and at the Army Training Center in Nonsan, Chungnam, four recruits who entered on the 26th and underwent full testing were confirmed positive.

In Jeju Island, a total of three new cases were confirmed, including one tourist and two residents.

The cumulative number of confirmed cases in the wrestling national team, which experienced a cluster infection after participating in an international competition to qualify for the Tokyo Summer Olympics, has increased to 27.

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