COVID-19 Cases Reach 1,407 by 9 PM... 229 Fewer Than Yesterday

[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 city, and other local governments, from midnight to 9 p.m. on that day, a total of 1,407 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were recorded nationwide. This is 229 fewer than the 1,636 cases recorded at the same time the previous day, but 62 more than the mid-day tally of 1,345 cases on Sunday, September 5.

Since there is still time until midnight when the tally closes, the number of new confirmed cases announced at 0:00 on the 13th is expected to increase to around 1,500, possibly reaching the mid-1,500s. On the previous day, 119 additional cases were reported after 9 p.m., closing at a final count of 1,755.

Looking at the regions where cases were reported that day, 1,111 cases (79.0%) were from the Seoul metropolitan area, and 296 cases (21.0%) were from non-metropolitan areas. Although this is a mid-day tally, the metropolitan area accounted for nearly 80%, indicating that the spread in the metropolitan area is intensifying. By city and province, the numbers were: Seoul 546, Gyeonggi 414, Incheon 151, Chungnam 57, Daejeon 39, Busan 34, Daegu 30, Chungbuk 29, Gyeongbuk 25, Gyeongnam 23, Ulsan 17, Gwangju 14, Gangwon 12, Jeonbuk 8, Jeonnam and Jeju 4 each. Among the 17 cities and provinces nationwide, no confirmed cases have yet been reported in Sejong.

The fourth wave of the pandemic, which began in early July centered on the metropolitan area, has continued for over two months. The daily confirmed cases have recorded 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 that day, the daily numbers 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 locally transmitted cases excluding imported cases were 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, 17 cases were linked to an academy in Seocho-gu, Seoul (4th case), 21 cases were linked to a medical institution in Gangnam-gu (3rd case), and 34 confirmed cases have been reported so far in a cluster infection connected to a workplace in Seoul and schools and swimming pools in southern Gyeonggi Province.

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