COVID-19 Cases Reach 1,234 Nationwide by 6 PM... 22 Fewer Than Yesterday

Seoul 504 - Gyeonggi 360 - Incheon 144, Total 1,008 in Capital Area, 226 in Non-Capital Area
Capital Area Share Exceeds 80% Based on Midterm Tally... 69 Consecutive Days of Four-Digit Counts

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] As the spread of COVID-19 continues in South Korea, new confirmed cases were reported nationwide on the 12th.

According to the quarantine authorities, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and other local governments, from midnight to 6 p.m. on that day, a total of 1,234 new COVID-19 positive cases were recorded nationwide.

This number is 22 fewer than the 1,256 cases recorded at the same time the previous day, but 99 more than the mid-day tally of 1,135 cases on Sunday, September 5. Since there is still time until midnight when the tally closes, the number of new confirmed cases announced at midnight on the 13th is expected to increase to between 1,500 and 1,600, possibly reaching around 1,700. On the previous day, 499 additional cases were reported after 6 p.m., bringing the final total to 1,755.

Looking at the regions where cases were reported on that day, the Seoul metropolitan area accounted for 1,008 cases (81.7%), and non-metropolitan areas accounted for 226 cases (18.3%). Although this is a mid-day tally, the metropolitan area’s share exceeding 80% indicates that the spread in the metropolitan area is intensifying.

By city and province, the numbers were: Seoul 504, Gyeonggi 360, Incheon 144, Busan 34, Daegu 30, Chungbuk 28, Daejeon and Gyeongbuk 25 each, Chungnam 24, Gyeongnam 23, Ulsan 12, Gangwon 11, Jeonnam and Jeju 4 each, Gwangju and Jeonbuk 3 each. Among the 17 cities and provinces nationwide, Sejong has not yet reported any confirmed cases.

The fourth wave of the pandemic, which began in early July centered on the metropolitan area, has continued for over two months. The daily number of confirmed cases has remained in the four digits for 68 consecutive days since July 7 (1,211 cases), and the 13th will mark the 69th day. Looking at the new confirmed cases over the past week from the 6th to the 12th, the daily counts were 1,375 → 1,597 → 2,048 → 2,049 → 1,892 → 1,865 → 1,755, averaging about 1,797 cases per day. Among these, the average daily number of locally transmitted cases excluding imported cases was about 1,763.

Regarding major infection cases, at the Garak Agricultural and Marine Products Wholesale Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul, at least 110 workers and their families tested positive. Additionally, related to an academy in Seocho-gu, Seoul (the 4th case), a total of 17 people were infected, and related to a medical institution in Gangnam-gu (the 3rd case), a total of 21 people were infected. In a cluster infection linked to a workplace in Seoul and schools and swimming pools in southern Gyeonggi Province, 34 confirmed cases have been reported so far.

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