'2,223 New COVID-19 Cases... Highest 4th Wave Peak in Both 수도권 and Non-수도권 Regions'

On the 11th, when the number of new COVID-19 cases reached 2,223, marking the first time in 568 days since the outbreak that cases exceeded 2,000, citizens waiting to be tested gathered at a temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea surpassed 2,200 for the first time, reaching 2,223. This marks the 29th consecutive day with four-digit case numbers. Among these, 1,405 cases were reported in the metropolitan area and 740 cases in non-metropolitan areas, both the highest since the 4th wave of the pandemic.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on the 11th, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases increased by 2,223 from the previous day to 216,206. Of the new cases, 2,145 were locally transmitted and 78 were imported. Typically, the number of tests decreases on weekends, leading to a significant drop in confirmed cases known as the 'weekend effect.' However, even on Monday and Tuesday, when this effect usually appears, the number of confirmed cases surged by about 300 compared to the previous week, leading to early predictions that new cases would exceed 2,000 on this day. The weekly average of locally transmitted cases, a key indicator for adjusting social distancing levels, also soared to 1,694.4.

By region, 1,405 cases, accounting for 65.5% of local transmissions, were reported in the metropolitan area. This is the first time in four days that the number has returned to the 1,000 range. The breakdown by region is Seoul 650, Gyeonggi 648, and Incheon 107. The weekly average of local cases also reached a record high of 1,027.7. A weekly average of 1,000 cases in the metropolitan area is the threshold for raising social distancing to level 4. Previously, level 4 was maintained as a precaution even though the weekly average did not exceed 1,000, but now the criteria for level 4 have been fully met.

Non-metropolitan cases reached 740, the highest since the 4th wave. The confirmed cases by region are as follows: Busan 125, Daegu 66, Gwangju 17, Daejeon 42, Ulsan 48, Sejong 8, Gangwon 19, Chungbuk 54, Chungnam 84, Jeonbuk 28, Jeonnam 16, Gyeongbuk 66, Gyeongnam 139, and Jeju 28.

There were 78 imported cases, with 27 detected during quarantine and 51 confirmed in the community. Among them, 36 were Korean nationals and 42 were foreigners.

The total number of tests conducted the previous day was 137,958. At temporary screening centers in the metropolitan area, 76,995 tests were conducted, confirming 538 new cases, while 16,849 tests were conducted at non-metropolitan temporary screening centers, confirming 102 cases.

The death toll rose by one to 2,135, and the number of critically ill patients increased by eight to 387 compared to the previous day.

On the afternoon of the 10th, citizens are waiting for vaccination at the Guro-gu Vaccination Center set up in the Guro-gu Community Center in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, as of midnight on the same day, 261,380 people received new COVID-19 vaccinations. The cumulative number of first-dose vaccinations reached 21,635,106, with a vaccination rate of 42.1% of the population. The breakdown by vaccine type is AstraZeneca (AZ) 38,259, Pfizer 213,964, and Moderna 9,157.

The number of people who completed vaccination increased by 168,265 from the previous day to 8,062,980. The population vaccination rate for the second dose is 15.7%. Among those who received the first dose of the AZ vaccine, 19,567 received their second dose with AZ, and 3,777 received a second dose with Pfizer as a mixed vaccination. An additional 144,705 people completed vaccination with Pfizer only, bringing the total to 4,772,188. Moderna second doses were administered to 216 people.

Reports of suspected adverse reactions after vaccination increased by 4,425 over two days, totaling 133,037 cases. Reports include 267 for AZ, 3,344 for Pfizer, 12 for Janssen, and 802 for Moderna. The cumulative adverse reaction reporting rates are 0.67% for AZ, 0.28% for Pfizer, 0.67% for Janssen, and 0.57% for Moderna.

Among the new reports, common post-vaccination symptoms such as muscle pain, headache, fever, chills, and nausea accounted for 4,294 cases, making up the majority.

Serious adverse reactions included 23 suspected anaphylaxis cases and 102 additional reports of major neurological and other serious reactions. There were six reported deaths after vaccination: one following AZ and five following Pfizer.

Regarding the mixed vaccination program started last month, where the first dose is AZ and the second dose is Pfizer, 80 additional adverse reactions were reported over two days, bringing the total to 2,919. The adverse reaction reporting rate for this mixed vaccination is 0.31%. Among these, 76 were general adverse reactions and 4 were major neurological or other serious reactions. No deaths were reported. Adverse reactions from mixed vaccinations are included in the Pfizer vaccine adverse reaction statistics.

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