5 More Confirmed Cases at Seodaemun-gu Sauna... Seoul Total Confirmed Cases Reach 360 (Summary)

Number of Testers More Than Tripled on the 9th, Sharp Increase in Confirmed Cases Expected on the 10th
Positive Rate 1.3% on the 8th... Highest Since the 5th of Last Month
Cumulative Confirmed Cases at Seodaemun-gu Sauna Rise to 22

On the 9th, when 1,492 new COVID-19 cases were reported, marking the highest number of cases recorded on a Sunday, citizens visiting the temporary screening clinic set up at the Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-gu, Seoul, were waiting to get tested. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The number of new COVID-19 cases reported in Seoul on the 9th was 360. With the number of tests increasing about 2.5 times compared to the weekend, the number of confirmed cases on the 10th is expected to rise significantly.

According to Seoul City on the 10th, of the 360 confirmed cases on the previous day, 356 were domestic infections and 4 were imported cases. This is 55 fewer than the 415 cases reported on the 8th and 49 more than the 311 cases reported a week ago.

The daily number of confirmed cases had decreased to the 300-400 range in early August but surged to the 500 range on the 6th. The number of confirmed cases over the past week was 486→466→464→503→450→415→360.

Notably, on Sunday the 8th, the number of tests conducted was 20,844, about half of the weekday average last week, yet the number of confirmed cases on the 9th did not decrease significantly. The positivity rate, which is the ratio of confirmed cases to tests conducted on the same day, rose by 0.4 percentage points to 1.3%, marking the highest rate in over a month since July 5th (1.4%).

With a sharp increase in testing on the 9th, the number of new confirmed cases is expected to rise significantly. On Monday the 9th, 72,160 tests were conducted, more than 2.5 times the number on the 8th. This is the highest since July 23rd (75,543 tests).

On the 9th, citizens are lining up to get tested at a temporary screening clinic in front of Seoul City Hall. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Cluster infections in multi-use facilities continue. At a sauna located in Namgajwa-dong, Seodaemun-gu, 5 additional confirmed cases were reported among users, workers, and their families, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 22.

Song Euncheol, a quarantine officer at the Seoul Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, stated, "Although the facility complied with quarantine rules, it is located underground where natural ventilation is difficult, and transmission likely occurred as users spent extended periods in the sauna. We are investigating this." He added, "It was confirmed that some confirmed cases used the facility even after symptoms appeared."

Other cluster infections include 10 cases at a religious facility in Seocho-gu (August), 3 cases at an indoor sports facility in Seodaemun-gu (August), 1 case at a performance rehearsal room in Jung-gu, and 22 cases from other clusters.

As of the 9th, the bed occupancy rate at infectious disease-dedicated hospitals in Seoul is 78.3%, and the metropolitan area bed occupancy rate is 79.6%. Seoul City plans to secure an additional 51 beds and will continue discussions with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters regarding the bed shortage issue. Currently, 58 beds are available for severe patients in Seoul, and the operation rate of residential treatment centers (31 centers with 5,503 beds) is 48.6%.

As of midnight on the 10th, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Seoul is 68,646. Currently, 8,183 people are isolated and receiving treatment. The number of COVID-19 deaths in Seoul increased by 2, bringing the total to 545.

Meanwhile, the vaccination rate in Seoul is 41.4% (3,961,449 people) for the first dose and 15.5% (1,481,476 people) for the second dose.

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