New Confirmed Cases 2,486... Vaccination Completion Rate Exceeds 50% (Update)

8 Consecutive Days of 'Highest Daily Records'... 77% Share in the Seoul Metropolitan Area

On the 30th, 2,564 new COVID-19 cases were reported, marking the highest number of cases for the same day of the week for seven consecutive weeks. Citizens who visited the temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza are waiting to get tested. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea reached 2,486, marking the eighth consecutive day of record highs based on the day of the week. While the spread continues, the pace of vaccination is accelerating. As of the previous day, the number of people who have completed COVID-19 vaccination exceeded 50% of the total population.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the 1st, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases increased by 2,486 from the previous day, totaling 313,773. In terms of infection routes, 2,451 cases were locally transmitted, and 35 were imported from overseas.

In the metropolitan area, the number of locally transmitted cases was 1,880, with Seoul reporting 907, Gyeonggi 817, and Incheon 156. The metropolitan area accounted for 76.7% of the total confirmed cases. Among non-metropolitan regions, Daegu had the highest number of new cases at 84, followed by Gyeongnam with 68, Gyeongbuk and Chungnam each with 59, Gangwon 52, Busan 46, Chungbuk 39, Daejeon 36, Jeonbuk 32, Jeonnam 29, Gwangju 27, Ulsan 24, Jeju 9, and Sejong 7.

The total number of tests conducted in one day reached approximately 160,000. At temporary screening clinics set up in the metropolitan area, 97,966 tests were conducted, confirming 711 positive cases, while 11,864 tests were conducted at non-metropolitan temporary screening clinics, confirming 23 positive cases.

The number of critically ill patients decreased by 13 from the previous day to 323. On the other hand, 16 additional deaths were reported, bringing the cumulative death toll to 2,497.

Meanwhile, according to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, 343,752 people received their first vaccine dose the previous day. The cumulative number of first-dose recipients reached 39,347,573. The first-dose vaccination rate stood at 76.6%. Among adults aged 18 and over, for whom vaccination is recommended, the rate reached 89.1%. The cumulative completion rate also surpassed 50%. On the previous day, 541,143 people completed their vaccination, bringing the total vaccination completion rate relative to the total population to 50.1%.

The authorities are encouraging unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated to raise the vaccination rate. As of the previous day, additional advance reservations for unvaccinated individuals aged 18 and over have closed, with about 520,000 participating. The reservation rate was recorded at 8.9%. By age group, the rates were 13.6% for those in their 50s, 9.7% for ages 18-29, 8.6% for those in their 40s, and 8.5% for those in their 60s.

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