Jeju Region COVID-19 Cases Surpass 1,000 Per Day... Concern Becomes Reality

1114 New COVID-19 Cases on the 18th... 60% of Total Cases Occurred This Month

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Chang-won] Jeju Island has finally surpassed 1,000 daily confirmed COVID-19 cases amid the explosive increase of the Omicron variant since the Lunar New Year holiday.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the 18th, 1,114 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Jeju. All confirmed cases were domestically transmitted with no imported cases. Consequently, the cumulative number of confirmed cases has risen to 13,665.

The number of confirmed cases in Jeju steadily increased after the Lunar New Year holiday earlier this month, reaching 503 on the 11th, 554 on the 12th, 509 on the 13th, and 551 on the 14th, all in the 500s range. Then, on the 15th, cases surged to 924, followed by 882 on the 16th, and on the 17th, the number exceeded 1,000 as feared, turning concerns into reality.

In February alone, 8,150 cases were confirmed, accounting for 60% of the total 13,665 cumulative cases over the past two years in Jeju, showing a rapid surge.

Jeju health authorities analyze that the spread is driven by asymptomatic infections, and particularly note a sharp increase in confirmed cases among those under 10 years old due to family transmission.

Meanwhile, nationwide new confirmed cases as of midnight on the same day reached 109,831, an increase of about 16,000 compared to the previous day. Especially in the metropolitan area, 36,511 cases were reported in Gyeonggi Province and 25,651 in Seoul, totaling 69,506 cases.

Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Chang-won captain@asiae.co.kr

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