COVID-19 New Cases 2,699, Tuesday Record High... Severe Cases 549 (Update)

On the afternoon of the 22nd, students lined up to receive COVID-19 tests at an elementary school in Buk-gu, Gwangju. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] On the 23rd, the number of new COVID-19 cases reached a record high of 2,699.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country increased by 2,699 from the previous day to 420,950. There were 2,685 domestic cases and 14 imported cases. This is the highest number recorded on a Tuesday.

By region, the Seoul metropolitan area accounted for 2,058 cases, with Seoul reporting 1,160, Incheon 129, and Gyeonggi 769, making up 76.6% of the total.

The number of cases outside the metropolitan area was 627 in total. ▲Busan 56 ▲Daegu 50 ▲Gwangju 55 ▲Daejeon 68 ▲Ulsan 7 ▲Sejong 8 ▲Gangwon 66 ▲Chungbuk 20 ▲Chungnam 77 ▲Jeonbuk 40 ▲Jeonnam 20 ▲Gyeongbuk 51 ▲Gyeongnam 80 ▲Jeju 29.

Among the 14 imported cases, 1 was detected during quarantine, and 13 were confirmed in the local community.

The number of critically ill patients hospitalized also reached a record high of 549, an increase of 34 from the previous day. The ICU bed occupancy rate remains at a critical level. As of 5 p.m. the previous day, 786 out of 1,134 ICU beds nationwide, or 69.3%, were in use. In particular, the metropolitan area shows occupancy rates of 84.3% in Seoul, 83.5% in Incheon, and 81.9% in Gyeonggi, with 578 out of 694 beds (83.3%) occupied. Considering the preparation work needed for beds during patient admission and discharge, this is effectively considered a 'full' status.

The number of patients waiting for beds who have not been admitted is 836, slightly down from 907 the previous day. However, the shortage of beds continues, with 122 patients waiting more than four days without admission.

The death toll increased by 30 the previous day, bringing the total cumulative deaths to 3,328. The fatality rate remains at approximately 0.79%.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, 49,198 people received their first dose the previous day, bringing the total number of first-dose recipients to 42,290,047. The vaccination rate for the first dose is 82.4% of the population. Among those aged 18 and over, 93.2% have completed the first dose. The number of people who completed vaccination the previous day was 87,611, bringing the total to 40,585,580. The vaccination completion rate is 79.0% of the total population and 91.0% of those aged 18 and over.

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