COVID-19 Cases Expected to Surpass Previous 1,240, Setting New Record High

Over 1,200 New Cases for Two Consecutive Days Also a Historic First

On the 7th, when the number of new COVID-19 cases reached 1,212, citizens lined up to get tested at a screening clinic set up at the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] As of midnight on the 8th, the number of new COVID-19 confirmed cases is expected to reach the highest ever since the first domestic case was reported on January 20 last year. The previous record was 1,240 cases on December 25 last year.

According to provisional counts by quarantine authorities, Seoul city, and other local governments until 11 PM on the 7th, the number of new confirmed cases reached 1,198. This is only 14 cases fewer than the 1,212 new cases reported at midnight on the 7th.

The cluster infection related to the Hyundai Department Store Trade Center branch in Gangnam-gu has increased to 69 confirmed cases, and 20 cases have been confirmed related to a restaurant in Yeongdeungpo-gu. With the number of tests and confirmed cases rising sharply, the final tally as of midnight on the 8th is expected to exceed 1,200 again. There are also projections that it will surpass the previous record of 1,240 cases on December 25 last year.

In particular, the daily new confirmed cases exceeding 1,200 for two consecutive days is unprecedented, even during the third wave, which was the largest outbreak so far. On December 25 last year, when 1,200 cases were recorded for the first time, the number of confirmed cases slightly decreased to 1,131 the following day, the 26th.

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