COVID-19 Cases Reach 1,800s... Deaths Highest Since 4th Wave (Update)

On the first day of COVID-19 vaccination for ages 18 to 49, the 26th, citizens are waiting to receive the vaccine at the vaccination center set up at Sadang Sports Complex in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The number of new domestic COVID-19 cases fell below 2,000 to 1,882 on the 26th.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced that as of midnight on the 26th, 1,822 new domestic COVID-19 cases were confirmed, bringing the cumulative total to 243,317. Of these, 1,829 were domestic transmissions and 53 were imported cases.

By region, Seoul reported 566 cases, Gyeonggi 504, and Incheon 98, totaling 1,168 cases (63.9%) in the metropolitan area.

Non-metropolitan areas reported 661 cases (36.1%), including Daegu 93, Chungnam 91, Busan 77, Gyeongbuk and Gyeongnam 64 each, Daejeon 50, Jeonbuk 43, Ulsan 40, Chungbuk 37, Jeju 30, Gwangju 29, Gangwon 25, Sejong 10, and Jeonnam 8.

Among the 53 imported cases, 23 were identified during quarantine, and the remaining 30 were confirmed in the local community. There were 17 Korean nationals and 36 foreigners. Thirty-nine cases were confirmed from Asian countries excluding China.

The number of deaths increased by 20 from the previous day, marking the highest since the fourth wave. The cumulative death toll stands at 2,257, with a fatality rate of 0.93%.

The number of critically ill patients remains in the 400s, currently at 425.

The number of newly released from isolation increased by 1,694, bringing the cumulative total to 212,871.

The number of suspected cases tested was 60,189. At temporary screening clinics set up in the metropolitan area, 90,366 tests were conducted, confirming 419 positive cases. In non-metropolitan temporary screening clinics, 14,696 tests were conducted, identifying 62 positive cases. The total number of tests conducted was 165,251.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, 370,493 people received their first dose on the previous day, bringing the total number of first-dose recipients to 27,076,636. The vaccination rate for the first dose relative to the population is 52.7%.

For the second dose, 472,455 people were newly vaccinated, with a total of 13,358,239 having completed the vaccination. The vaccination completion rate relative to the population is 26.0%.

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