New Cases 826... Weekend Major Outbreak Emergency

Highest in 6 Months... Accounts for 81% of the Seoul Metropolitan Area

On the 2nd, the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded was in the low 800s. This is the highest number in about 170 days since January 7. Citizens are lining up to get tested at a temporary COVID-19 screening center set up at Seoul Station Plaza. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The number of new domestic COVID-19 cases surged into the 800s for the first time in nearly six months since January 7. The spread of the highly transmissible India-originated 'Delta' variant virus has put the metropolitan area on high alert.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the 2nd, the number of new confirmed cases was 826, an increase of 64 from the previous day. Of these, 765 were domestic cases and 61 were imported cases.

The number of imported cases marked the highest since the end of July last year. Twenty-seven people arriving from Indonesia, where cases are surging, tested positive.

By region, Seoul reported 337 cases, Gyeonggi 260, and Incheon 22, totaling 619 cases in the metropolitan area, accounting for 80.9% of domestic cases. The average daily number of confirmed cases in the metropolitan area over the past week was 509, already exceeding the new 'social distancing' level 3 threshold of 500.

In particular, the cumulative number of confirmed cases related to an English academy in Gyeonggi Province and a restaurant cluster outbreak in Mapo-gu, Seoul, where the Delta variant was confirmed, has increased to 242, raising concerns about a large-scale outbreak.

Jeon Hae-cheol, 2nd Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety), expressed concern, saying, "For three consecutive days, the number of confirmed cases in the metropolitan area has exceeded 80% of the total due to the spread of cluster infections through restaurants and academy facilities."

He added, "To enable the metropolitan area to respond more swiftly, we will support local governments with experienced epidemiologists from regional disease response centers, and until the scale of infection stabilizes, we will conduct special management of high-risk cities, counties, and districts, along with government joint special inspections of seven infection-vulnerable facility sectors including academies and private tutoring centers."

Professor Lee Jae-gap of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital said, "Before vaccinations are fully underway at the end of July, it is difficult to block the spread other than by strengthening social distancing. It is necessary to closely monitor the metropolitan area situation during the one-week grace period and revise quarantine measures from a long-term perspective rather than extending temporary responses week by week."

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