As of 9 PM, 1,378 COVID-19 cases confirmed in Seoul... 2 fewer than the previous day

[Asia Economy Reporter Ji-hwan Park] As of 9 PM on the 17th in Seoul, 1,378 new COVID-19 cases were reported. Compared to the same time frame, this is 2 cases fewer than the previous day's record high of 1,380 and 865 cases more than the 513 reported a week earlier on the 10th. The total number of daily confirmed cases was 1,436 on the 16th and 1,004 on the 10th.

If the number of confirmed cases increases further by midnight, there is a possibility that the record for the highest number of cases will be broken again within a day.

The daily number of confirmed cases in Seoul dropped from 1,221 on September 24 to 298 on the 18th of last month, then surged to 1,004 on the 2nd of this month. Since then, the numbers fluctuated between 600 and 1,000, but due to fewer tests conducted over the weekend from the 13th to the 15th, the cases fell below 1,000. However, starting from the 16th, as the weekend effect subsided, confirmed cases have been rapidly increasing again.

As of midnight on the 17th, the occupancy rate of dedicated severe patient treatment beds in Seoul was 80.6%. This figure significantly exceeds the 75% ICU occupancy rate cited by the government as an example threshold for triggering the 'emergency plan' to halt the phased return to normal life. Out of the total 345 dedicated severe patient beds in Seoul, 278 are currently in use, leaving 67 beds available for admission.

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