701 New Confirmed Cases... Nationwide Cluster Infections Spread Through Gatherings and Events (Comprehensive)

Entering 700s in 10 Days, 67% of Cases in Seoul Metropolitan Area
6 Cases at Shinsegae Gangnam Food Hall, 4 in Major Hospital Wards
11 Infections at Ulsan Bathhouse, 13 at Gwangju Gwangsan-gu High School

As the spread of COVID-19 continues, the number of new confirmed cases remained in the 600s for the fourth consecutive day on the 2nd. Citizens visiting the temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza are undergoing COVID-19 testing. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The daily number of new COVID-19 cases has risen to the 700s. With gatherings and events increasing during Family Month, there are concerns that the scale of infections could grow further.

On the 8th, the Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight, 701 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 126,745. The number of new cases increased by 176 compared to the previous day, marking a return to the 700s for the first time in ten days since the 28th of last month (769 cases).

New cases had been fluctuating between 400 and 600 for a while, but with ongoing large and small cluster infections nationwide, the situation appears to be spreading into a fourth wave.

The daily new cases over the past week from the 2nd are as follows: ▲2nd - 606 ▲3rd - 488 ▲4th - 541 ▲5th - 676 ▲6th - 574 ▲7th - 525 ▲8th - 701.

The average daily number of cases over the week is approximately 587. The average daily number of locally transmitted cases, a key indicator for adjusting 'social distancing' levels, is about 565, which still falls within Level 2.5 (nationwide 400-500 or more cases).

As the spread of COVID-19 continues, the number of new confirmed cases recorded the 600s for the fourth consecutive day on the 2nd. Citizens visiting the temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza are waiting in line to get tested for COVID-19. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The infection routes of new cases are 672 local transmissions and 29 imported cases. The number of locally transmitted cases surged by 163 from the previous day (509).

By region, the number of cases is 240 in Seoul, 192 in Gyeonggi, and 20 in Incheon, totaling 452 cases (67.3%) in the metropolitan area. It has been nine days since the metropolitan area recorded 400 cases (422 cases on the 29th of last month).

Non-metropolitan areas reported a total of 220 cases (32.7%), including 47 in Ulsan, 37 in Gyeongnam, 27 in Gangwon, 26 in Busan, 20 in Gyeongbuk, 13 in Daegu, 11 in Jeonnam, 9 in Chungbuk, 8 in Daejeon, 5 each in Gwangju, Sejong, and Jeju, 4 in Jeonbuk, and 3 in Chungnam.

New cluster infections occurred at multi-use facilities such as the food hall of Shinsegae Department Store Gangnam Branch in Seocho-gu, Seoul (6 cases), and the inpatient ward of Chung-Ang University Hospital in Dongjak-gu (4 cases).

At a bathhouse in Ulju-gun, Ulsan, 11 people were infected in a cluster, and in Gwangju, 13 cases were linked to a high school in Gwangsan-gu and 6 cases to entertainment establishments in the Sangmu district.

Additional cases were also confirmed in existing clusters such as the Navy 2nd Fleet ship Gojunbong in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi (cumulative 38 cases), and a foreign worker cluster in Gangneung, Gangwon (71 cases).

There were 29 cases presumed to be imported from overseas, 13 more than the previous day (16 cases). Among them, 17 were identified during quarantine at airports or ports. The remaining 12 tested positive while in self-quarantine at their residences or temporary living facilities in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon (2 each), and Busan, Daejeon, Ulsan, Gyeongbuk, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk (1 each).

The death toll increased by 5 from the previous day, reaching a total of 1,865. The domestic average fatality rate is 1.47%. The number of critically ill patients is 165, up by 3 from the previous day (162).

On the 7th, the number of tests conducted at screening clinics was 37,812, which is 2,550 fewer than on the 6th (40,362). The positivity rate, calculated as the number of confirmed cases relative to tests conducted, rose to 1.85% (701 out of 37,812) from 1.30% (525 out of 40,362) the previous day. The cumulative positivity rate as of midnight is 1.39% (126,745 out of 9,081,166 tests).

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