Non-Capital Region COVID-19 Cases Drop to 30% Range... Will 'Level 2 + Ban on Gatherings of 5' Be Implemented? (Comprehensive)

443 Non-Capital Region Cases on the 18th... First 30% Range Since the 4th Wave
Announcement on Ban of Private Gatherings of 5 or More in Non-Capital Areas to Be Made This Afternoon

On the 18th, when the large-scale spread of COVID-19 continued in Korea, citizens lined up in a long queue at the temporary screening clinic at Seoul Station to get tested. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on that day, the number of new confirmed cases increased by 1,454, marking the highest figure for a weekend. The number has recorded four digits for 12 consecutive days since the 7th, when it was 1,212. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] On the 18th, the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded was in the mid-1400s, marking the highest weekend figure ever. Notably, the proportion of cases outside the metropolitan area exceeded 30% for the first time since the 4th wave, indicating a nationwide spread of the outbreak.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on that day, there were 1,454 new confirmed cases, bringing the cumulative total to 177,951. Despite the weekend effect of reduced testing, the number remained similar to the previous day, continuing a four-digit count for 12 consecutive days. This surpassed the previous weekend record of 1,324 cases set last week by over 100 cases within a week.

In particular, the 4th wave, which initially centered on the metropolitan area, appears to be spreading to non-metropolitan regions. Of the 1,402 locally transmitted cases that day, 959 cases (68.4%) were in the metropolitan area: Seoul with 515 cases, Gyeonggi with 363 cases, and Incheon with 81 cases. The non-metropolitan areas recorded a total of 443 cases, with ongoing spread in regions such as Gyeongnam (96 cases), Busan (68 cases), Gangwon (50 cases), Daejeon (45 cases), and Daegu (41 cases). The proportion of non-metropolitan cases among local transmissions had been in the 20% range since the 9th but rose to 31.6% on this day.

Meanwhile, as the metropolitan area has been under the highest level 4 social distancing measures for a week, attention is focused on whether the spread can be contained next week. Health authorities expect that if the strengthened measures, including the elevation of distancing levels, are properly implemented, their effects will begin to appear in about a week.

For non-metropolitan areas, since the 15th, social distancing level 2 has been applied to all regions except Sejong, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, and Gyeongbuk. However, due to concerns about the spread, some local governments have raised the level to 3 or imposed additional measures such as banning gatherings of five or more people, resulting in varying restrictions on the number of people allowed in gatherings?4, 6, or 8 persons depending on the region.

The government proposed unifying the private gathering restriction to a ban on gatherings of five or more people in non-metropolitan areas, citing concerns about confusion caused by differing regional limits. On the 16th, the government held a bureau-level working meeting chaired by Lee Ki-il, the 1st Controller of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare), to gather opinions from local governments on the proposal. During the meeting, many local governments agreed to allow private gatherings of up to four people only, though some opposed the plan. The final decisions by non-metropolitan local governments are expected to be announced in the afternoon of the same day.

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