New COVID-19 Cases Back to 2,000s... Increased Weight on Extending Social Distancing Measures Set for Next Week (Update)

Social Distancing Adjustment Plan to be Announced Tomorrow (20th)
Extension Likely...Possibility of '4-Week Extension' Instead of 2 Weeks

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea has surpassed 2,000 again after 8 days. As the effect of the Liberation Day holiday disappeared, the second highest number of cases in history was reported.

Accordingly, the social distancing measures to be announced tomorrow (the 20th) for next week are also expected to be extended again. Currently, Level 4 is applied in the metropolitan area and Level 3 in non-metropolitan areas, and it is known that an option to extend the measures for 4 weeks instead of the usual 2 weeks is also being considered.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the 19th, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases increased by 2,152 from the previous day, totaling 230,808 cases. This is about 350 more than the previous day (1,805 cases) and only 70 fewer than the record high of 2,222 cases reported on the 11th. Of these, 2,114 were locally transmitted cases and 38 were imported cases.

In the metropolitan area, the number of locally transmitted cases was 570 in Seoul, 641 in Gyeonggi, and 153 in Incheon, totaling 1,364 cases. Among non-metropolitan areas, Busan and Gyeongnam, where the recent spread has been severe, recorded triple-digit cases with 153 and 107 respectively. This was followed by Chungnam with 81 cases, Ulsan 68, Chungbuk 57, Daegu 52, Daejeon 49, Gyeongbuk 47, Jeonbuk 38, Jeju 35, Gangwon 28, Gwangju 22, Jeonnam 17, and Sejong 13. The proportion of cases in non-metropolitan areas reached 35.5%.

The total number of tests conducted in one day exceeded 160,000. At temporary screening clinics set up in the metropolitan area, 87,577 tests were conducted, confirming 446 positive cases, while 16,681 people were tested at non-metropolitan temporary screening clinics, confirming 93 positive cases.

With the increase in confirmed cases, the number of critically ill patients and deaths is also rapidly rising. The number of critically ill patients increased by 24 from the previous day to 390. The cumulative number of deaths rose by 13 to 2,191.

Meanwhile, according to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, 518,990 people received their first vaccine dose yesterday. The cumulative number of first-dose recipients is 24,306,127. The first-dose vaccination rate reached 47.3%. Among them, 318,432 people completed their vaccination, totaling 10,812,327 people, with a vaccination completion rate of 21.1% of the population.

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