COVID-19 New Cases in 2000s for 6 Consecutive Days... First Time Since Peak of 4th Wave

On the morning of the 14th, a holiday, citizens are waiting to be tested at the COVID-19 screening clinic at Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] On the 15th, marking the second week since the implementation of "gradual daily recovery (With Corona)," the number of new COVID-19 cases reached 2,006, continuing the streak of over 2,000 cases for six consecutive days.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight, the total cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country increased by 2,006 from the previous day to 397,466. Of these, 1,986 were domestic cases and 20 were imported. This is the first time since the peak period of the ongoing 4th wave, from September 24 to October 3, when daily new cases exceeded 2,000 for ten consecutive days. During that time, as the spread continued and testing demand surged after the Chuseok holiday, the daily new cases reached a record high of 3,270 on September 25, surpassing 3,000 for the first time.

By region, the Seoul metropolitan area accounted for 1,554 cases, with Seoul at 856, Incheon at 102, and Gyeonggi at 596, making up 78.2% of the total.

Non-metropolitan area cases totaled 432, distributed as follows: ▲Busan 67 ▲Daegu 48 ▲Gwangju 25 ▲Daejeon 33 ▲Ulsan 3 ▲Sejong 1 ▲Gangwon 35 ▲Chungbuk 18 ▲Chungnam 57 ▲Jeonbuk 38 ▲Jeonnam 19 ▲Gyeongbuk 34 ▲Gyeongnam 44 ▲Jeju 10.

Among the 20 imported cases, 5 were detected during quarantine, and 15 were confirmed within the local community.

The number of severe cases hospitalized, which had been rapidly increasing recently, decreased by 12 from the previous day to 471, showing a slight slowdown in the upward trend. However, the ICU bed occupancy rate continues to rise steadily. As of 5 p.m. the previous day, out of 1,125 ICU beds secured nationwide, 699 beds (62.1%) were in use. In particular, the Seoul metropolitan area showed occupancy rates of 78.6% in Seoul, 78.5% in Incheon, and 73.0% in Gyeonggi, with 525 out of 687 beds (76.4%) occupied. This exceeds the 75% ICU bed occupancy rate, which the health authorities had previously cited as a key condition for activating the "emergency plan."

The death toll increased by 12 from the previous day, reaching a total of 3,115. However, the fatality rate remains steady at around 0.78%.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, 2,281 people received their first dose yesterday, bringing the total number of first-dose recipients to 41,962,629. The vaccination rate for the first dose relative to the population is 81.7%. Among those aged 18 and older, 92.9% have completed their first dose. The number of people who completed vaccination yesterday was 3,311, bringing the total to 40,102,583. The vaccination completion rate relative to the population is 78.1%, and 90.4% among those aged 18 and older.

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