653 People by 9 PM, Up 32 from Previous Day... Around 700 Expected on the 3rd

On the 31st of last month, citizens lined up to get tested at the temporary screening clinic in Seoul Station Plaza. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] As the spread of COVID-19 continues nationwide, confirmed cases have been reported across the country.

According to the quarantine authorities and local governments on the 2nd, from midnight to 9 p.m. that day, a total of 653 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were recorded nationwide. This is 32 more than the 621 cases recorded at the same time the previous day.

Looking at the regions where confirmed cases were reported, 437 cases (66.9%) were in the metropolitan area, and 216 cases (33.1%) were in non-metropolitan areas. By city and province, there were 213 cases in Seoul, 202 in Gyeonggi, 74 in Daegu, 29 in Busan, 22 each in Incheon and Gyeongnam, 17 in Gangwon, 13 in Chungnam, 12 each in Jeonbuk and Jeju, 11 each in Daejeon and Gyeongbuk, 8 in Ulsan, 4 in Chungbuk, 2 in Gwangju, and 1 in Jeonnam.

Since there is still time until midnight when the tally closes, the number of new confirmed cases announced as of 0:00 on the 3rd is expected to increase further to around 700. The previous day saw an increase of 56 cases after 9 p.m., closing at a final count of 677.

Recently, with a series of small to medium-sized cluster infections nationwide, daily confirmed cases have fluctuated between 400 and 600. The number of new confirmed cases over the past week was 629 → 587 → 533 → 480 → 430 → 459 → 677, averaging about 542 cases per day.

Among these, the daily average of locally transmitted cases, a key indicator for adjusting the 'social distancing' level, is about 525, which still falls within level 2.5 (nationwide 400?500 or more cases).

Major new cluster infection cases include 4 students confirmed at a middle school in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, and 7 people including employees of an insurance company and their families in Daejeon testing positive. New infection cases related to a workplace in Seocho-gu, Seoul (cumulative 26 cases), a church in Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi (10 cases), family and acquaintances in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon (15 cases), a general pub in Suseong-gu, Daegu (15 cases), and a karaoke practice room in Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam (17 cases) have also continued.

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