422 New COVID-19 Cases Nationwide as of 6 PM... 500 Cases Expected Tomorrow

On the 16th, exceeding the initial target of 13 million for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and achieving it earlier than expected, police personnel are administering vaccines at the COVID-19 Vaccination Center in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] From midnight to 6 p.m. on the 17th, 422 new COVID-19 cases were reported over 18 hours. This is 14 fewer than the 436 cases recorded at the same time the previous day.

By region, the metropolitan area accounted for 329 cases (78.0%), and non-metropolitan areas accounted for 93 cases (22.0%). By city and province, there were 176 cases in Seoul, 133 in Gyeonggi, 20 in Incheon, 11 each in Daegu and Chungbuk, 10 each in Busan, Gyeongnam, and Gyeongbuk, 9 in Ulsan, 8 in Gangwon, 7 in Chungnam, 6 in Daejeon, 5 in Jeju, 4 in Jeonnam, and 2 in Gwangju.

Since there is still time until the cutoff for the tally at midnight, the number of new cases as of 0:00 on the 18th is expected to increase further and reach the 500s. The previous day saw an increase of 104 cases after 6 p.m., closing at a final count of 540 cases.

Looking at major new cluster infection cases, a total of 11 people have been infected since the 8th in connection with a restaurant in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and 12 confirmed cases were reported at a singing practice room in Yongsan-gu.

Additionally, 15 employees at an architectural office in Suwon-si, Gyeonggi, tested positive, and 12 cases were confirmed in the cafeteria of an elementary school in the same area. At a PC bang in Buk-gu, Daegu, 6 users and acquaintances have tested positive since the 12th. The number of confirmed cases related to a sauna in Buk-gu, Ulsan, has increased to 19.

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