'Fear of 4' Spreads Nationwide... Double-Digit Cases Surge in Non-Capital Regions

Local Governments Raise Social Distancing Levels... Busan, Daejeon, and Others at Level 2

The number of new COVID-19 cases is breaking record highs day after day. On the 9th, citizens are getting tested at a temporary screening clinic set up in the plaza in front of Seoul City Hall. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] As the number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea has once again reached an all-time high, the rapid increase in cases outside the metropolitan area has raised concerns about a "nationwide large-scale outbreak." Most non-metropolitan areas are still at social distancing levels 1 to 2, raising concerns about potential gaps in quarantine measures.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the 9th, there were a total of 273 confirmed cases outside the metropolitan area, accounting for 22.1% of locally transmitted cases. On that day, double-digit confirmed cases were reported across various regions nationwide, including 53 in Busan, 51 in Chungnam, 30 in Jeju, 28 in Daejeon, and 23 in Gangwon.

The spread is extending from the metropolitan area to non-metropolitan regions. In particular, infections linked to daily life settings such as workplaces, schools, restaurants, and karaoke rooms are predominant, and there may be latent community infections, suggesting that the number of confirmed cases outside the metropolitan area is expected to increase further.

As the spread outside the metropolitan area worsens, some local governments have raised their social distancing levels. In Busan, which recorded the highest number of cases outside the metropolitan area, a total of 37 people, including 29 users of emotional pubs and clubs, as well as workers and acquaintances, tested positive. In response to the surge in cases centered around clubs and entertainment pubs, Busan city strengthened social distancing to level 2 starting the previous day.

Only One Area in Non-Metropolitan Regions, Chuncheon, at Level 3... Most Remain at Level 1

Daejeon raised its social distancing to level 2 the day before. A total of 45 workers related to karaoke rooms in the Seo-gu area tested positive, and additional confirmed cases related to a high school in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, were reported. Overnight, two people in their 80s residing in a nursing home in Daedeok-gu (unvaccinated) tested positive, leading to testing of about 170 nursing home residents and workers that morning.

In Daegu, the number of confirmed cases at a pub in Dongseong-ro, Jung-gu, increased to 13. Following the owner's positive test on the 6th, a chain of infections occurred among employees and customers. A karaoke pub worker confirmed positive the day before was found to have worked at 10 karaoke pubs around the time symptoms appeared, raising concerns about further infections. In Yeosu, Jeonnam, a total of 13 people, including 10 sauna users, tested positive. The cumulative number of confirmed cases related to the Army Training Center in Nonsan, Chungnam, rose to 77.

Experts expressed concerns about a balloon effect due to differences in social distancing measures between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. With the summer vacation season underway, asymptomatic and mild cases from the metropolitan area may travel to non-metropolitan regions, potentially spreading infections. Currently, Chuncheon City (Gangwon) is the only non-metropolitan area applying level 3, while Daejeon, Busan, Changnyeong County, and Namhae County are at level 2. Most local governments remain at level 1.

In the event of a nationwide large-scale outbreak, concerns arise about shortages of hospital beds and residential treatment centers in non-metropolitan areas, where medical infrastructure is relatively poor. Professor Lee Jae-gap of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital emphasized, "During the early stages of the third wave, cases initially centered in the metropolitan area spread nationwide. In non-metropolitan areas, some local governments cannot handle even 100 cases per day, so preventing nationwide spread is an urgent priority."

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