COVID-19 New Cases 2,667, Up 1,078 from Previous Day... 4th Highest Ever (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] Just three days after the start of the 'gradual return to daily life,' the number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea surged to the 2,600 range on the 3rd.

The 2,667 new confirmed cases represent the fourth-largest daily increase ever recorded, and this is the first time since the first domestic COVID-19 case was reported on January 20 of last year that the number of new cases has increased by more than 1,000 compared to the previous day.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight, 2,667 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed domestically, bringing the total to 370,640. Of these, 2,640 were domestic cases and 27 were imported.

By region, Seoul reported 997 cases, Gyeonggi 895, and Incheon 181, with the metropolitan area accounting for 2,073 cases (78.5%).

Non-metropolitan areas reported 567 cases (21.5%), including Gyeongnam 108, Chungnam 91, Busan 77, Daegu 66, Chungbuk 47, Jeonbuk 43, Gyeongbuk 31, Gangwon 29, Jeonnam 21, Daejeon 19, Jeju 17, Gwangju 11, Ulsan 6, and Sejong 1.

Among the 27 imported cases, 8 were detected during quarantine, and the remaining 19 were confirmed in the community. Ten were Korean nationals and 17 were foreigners.

The death toll increased by 18 from the previous day, bringing the total to 2,892, with a fatality rate of 0.78%. The number of critically ill patients currently hospitalized is 378.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, 42,176 people received their first dose yesterday, bringing the total number of first-dose recipients to 41,269,453. The vaccination rate for the first dose among the population is 80.4%. Among those aged 18 and older, 92.4% have completed their first dose.

On the previous day, 87,113 people completed their vaccination, bringing the total number of fully vaccinated individuals to 38,895,232, with a population vaccination rate of 75.7%.

There were 5,898 new reports of suspected adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccination as of midnight on the 2nd and 3rd of this month.

Among these, 12 cases were suspected anaphylaxis, 120 cases involved major adverse reactions such as neurological symptoms, and 12 new deaths were reported.

Jeon Hae-cheol, the 2nd Deputy Director of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters meeting that day, "Today's number of confirmed cases is in the 2,600 range, with a notable increase in the metropolitan area, and the number has risen by more than 1,000 compared to the previous day."

Deputy Director Jeon expressed concern, saying, "Among the total confirmed cases, those in their teens account for more than 24%, and the proportion of cases aged 60 and over has been increasing for four consecutive weeks. The frequency of new cluster infections is rising, especially in educational facilities such as academies and schools, nursing homes, and multi-use facilities."

He emphasized, "With the College Scholastic Ability Test scheduled in two weeks and the full return to in-person classes at all levels of schools planned, the government will make every effort to protect students' health through a thorough school quarantine system."

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