Domestic COVID-19 New Cases 1,455... Non-Capital Region 5-Person Gathering Ban to Be Announced Tomorrow (Comprehensive)

On the 16th, during the continued sweltering heat of the monsoon season, medical staff at the temporary screening clinic at Seoul Station cooled off in front of a cooling fan. The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight, there were 1,536 new confirmed cases. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea recorded in the mid-1400s on the 17th.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on that day, 1,455 new cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 176,500. Although this is 81 fewer than the previous day (1,536), the number of confirmed cases is the fourth largest since the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

New cases have remained in the four-digit range for 11 consecutive days since the 7th (1,212). After reaching a record high of 1,615 on the 14th (based on the announcement date), the number has slightly decreased for three consecutive days, but the spread remains ongoing.

Of the new cases on this day, 1,404 were locally transmitted and 51 were imported. The fourth wave, which began in earnest this month centered on the metropolitan area, is gradually spreading to non-metropolitan areas.

In particular, there are many risk factors that could worsen the epidemic situation, such as the increase in cases in non-metropolitan areas, the full-scale summer vacation season, and the possibility of the India-origin 'Delta variant' becoming the dominant strain, so the number of confirmed cases could increase at any time.

The government has restricted private gatherings in the metropolitan area to 4 people during the day and 2 people after 6 p.m., and has decided to ban private gatherings of 5 or more people in non-metropolitan areas for the time being.

This measure is expected to be announced after the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the afternoon of the 18th.

The number of new cases over the past week (July 11?17) were 1,324 → 1,100 → 1,150 → 1,615 → 1,599 → 1,536 → 1,455 per day. The daily average for the week was about 1,397 cases, with the daily average of locally transmitted cases around 1,349.

On this day, the infection routes of new cases were 1,404 local transmissions and 51 imported cases. By region, the metropolitan area accounted for 1,018 cases (72.5%), including Seoul 556, Gyeonggi 385, and Incheon 77.

Non-metropolitan areas reported a total of 386 cases (27.5%), including Gyeongnam 88, Busan 61, Chungnam 52, Gangwon 45, Daejeon 33, Daegu 28, Gyeongbuk and Jeju 14 each, Gwangju 12, Chungbuk 11, Ulsan 10, Jeonbuk and Jeonnam 8 each, and Sejong 2.

The proportion of non-metropolitan cases among total local transmissions recorded 22.1% → 22.7% → 24.7% → 27.1% → 27.6% → 24.8% → 29.5% → 25.0% → 27.5% from the 9th of this month to this day, maintaining the 20% range for 9 consecutive days.

Among these, 24 cases were confirmed during airport or port quarantine processes. The remaining 27 cases tested positive while in self-quarantine at their residences or temporary living facilities in Gyeonggi (10), Seoul (6), Incheon (4), Gyeongbuk (2), and Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam (1 each).

Combining local transmissions and imported cases (excluding quarantine), the total was 1,038 cases: Seoul 562, Gyeonggi 395, and Incheon 81. Confirmed cases were reported across all 17 provinces nationwide. The death toll increased by 4 from the previous day, totaling 2,055.

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