New COVID-19 Cases Finally Exceed 800... 61 Imported Cases Confirmed (Update)

765 Local Cases, 61 Imported Cases
Over 800 Cases for the First Time in 6 Months Since January This Year

As COVID-19 cases surge in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, the current social distancing measures have been extended by one week. On the 1st, citizens lined up at a temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza to get tested. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The spread of COVID-19 in South Korea is becoming serious. As the outbreak spreads mainly in the metropolitan area, the number of new confirmed cases on the 2nd exceeded 800. It is the first time in about six months since January 7 this year (869 cases), when the number of confirmed cases in the 800s was recorded as the third wave of the pandemic began to decline after peaking.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced that as of midnight on the day, the number of new domestic COVID-19 confirmed cases increased by 826, bringing the total to 158,549. In terms of infection routes, 765 cases were locally transmitted, and 61 cases were imported from overseas. On the day, the number of suspected case tests was 27,286, the number of tests at temporary screening clinics in the metropolitan area was 41,976, and the number of tests at temporary screening clinics outside the metropolitan area was 4,709, exceeding a total of 70,000 tests. In particular, 172 confirmed cases were reported from temporary screening clinics in the metropolitan area alone.

In the metropolitan area, 337 cases were reported in Seoul, 260 in Gyeonggi, and 22 in Incheon, totaling 619 confirmed cases. About 80% of all domestic confirmed cases were concentrated in the metropolitan area. Outside the metropolitan area, the cases were reported as follows: 27 in Chungnam, 25 in Busan, 25 in Daejeon, 12 in Gyeongnam, 8 in Daegu, 7 each in Gangwon, Chungbuk, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongbuk, 4 in Jeonnam, 3 in Jeju, and 2 each in Gwangju and Sejong.

The number of imported confirmed cases also reached 61, the second highest since the first COVID-19 case was reported in South Korea in January last year.

Meanwhile, according to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, as of midnight on the day, 4,043 people received their first dose of vaccination, bringing the cumulative total of first-dose recipients to 15,348,270. The number of people who completed vaccination increased by 86,635, totaling 5,156,549. The vaccination rate relative to the population was 29.9% for the first dose and 10% for those who completed vaccination.

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