COVID-19 New Cases 'Record High' 1,615... Unstoppable '4th Wave'

The number of new COVID-19 cases reached a record high of 1,615 as of midnight on the 14th. Citizens are waiting to be tested at the Jung-gu temporary screening clinic set up in Seoul Station Plaza. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea reached a record high of 1,615. As the '4th wave' of the pandemic intensified, the previous record of 1,378 cases set just four days ago on the 10th was surpassed again.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 14th at midnight that the total cumulative COVID-19 cases increased by 1,615 from the previous day to 171,911. Among the new cases, 1,568 were locally transmitted and 47 were imported from overseas.

Among the locally transmitted cases, 1,179 cases, accounting for 75%, were reported in the Seoul metropolitan area. This is the second time the metropolitan area cases have exceeded 1,000, following the 10th. The breakdown is Seoul 633 cases (40.4%), Gyeonggi 453 cases (28.9%), and Incheon 93 cases (5.9%).

Other regions reported the following confirmed cases: ▲Busan 62 ▲Daegu 52 ▲Gwangju 15 ▲Daejeon 41 ▲Ulsan 11 ▲Sejong 6 ▲Gangwon 15 ▲Chungbuk 9 ▲Chungnam 36 ▲Jeonbuk 9 ▲Jeonnam 6 ▲Gyeongbuk 19 ▲Gyeongnam 87 ▲Jeju 21.

There were 47 imported cases. Among them, 19 were detected during quarantine, and 28 were confirmed in the community. Of these, 28 were Korean nationals and 19 were foreigners.

The total number of tests conducted the previous day was 131,844. At temporary screening clinics set up in the metropolitan area, 79,648 tests were conducted, confirming 347 new cases, while 7,636 tests were conducted at non-metropolitan temporary screening clinics, confirming 23 cases.

On the morning of the 13th, a number indicating the pre-vaccination consultation is displayed on the electronic board at a COVID-19 vaccination center set up in a district office in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, as of midnight on the same day, 105,958 people received new COVID-19 vaccinations. The cumulative number of first-dose vaccinations reached 15,724,463, representing a vaccination rate of 30.6% of the population. Among the new vaccinations, 314 were AstraZeneca (AZ), 105,508 Pfizer, and 136 Moderna doses.

The number of people who completed vaccination increased by 89,167 from the previous day to 6,058,350. The population vaccination rate for the second dose is 11.8%. Among those who received the first dose of the AZ vaccine, 6,039 received their second dose with AZ, and 60,263 received a second dose of Pfizer as a cross-vaccination. An additional 22,865 people completed vaccination with Pfizer only, bringing the total to 3,543,320. Moderna second doses have not yet reached the required interval for administration.

Reports of suspected adverse reactions following vaccination increased by 1,820 over two days, totaling 103,151 cases. Reports included 684 for AZ, 1,003 for Pfizer, 93 for Janssen, and 40 for Moderna. The cumulative adverse reaction reporting rates are AZ 0.66%, Pfizer 0.25%, Janssen 0.64%, and Moderna 0.62%.

Among the new reports, 1,703 cases involved common post-vaccination symptoms such as muscle pain, headache, fever, chills, and nausea, accounting for the majority.

Serious adverse reactions included 8 suspected anaphylaxis cases and 99 additional reports of major neurological and other serious reactions. There were 10 reported deaths following vaccination; 2 had received the AZ vaccine and 8 had received the Pfizer vaccine.

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