Possible 300,000 New COVID-19 Cases on Election Day... Over 900,000 Voters Confirmed or Quarantined Expected

Over 1,000 Perjury Patients and Nearly 1.2 Million Home Care Patients
Peak Expected Mid-Month
Confirmed Cases and Isolated Individuals Can Vote from 6 PM... Authorities Urge Going Out After 5:50 PM

On the 7th, 207,716 new COVID-19 cases were reported, maintaining the daily count above 200,000. Citizens visiting the temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza are waiting to get tested. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

As the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to exceed 200,000 daily, it is anticipated that the figure will approach 300,000 on the presidential election day, the 9th. The rapid spread of infections is driven by the easing of social distancing measures and the reopening of elementary, middle, and high schools, compounded by the spread of variant viruses such as Stealth Omicron. Consequently, the number of critically ill patients has surpassed 1,000. The number of patients receiving home treatment is nearing 1.2 million, with tens of thousands of confirmed and isolated individuals expected to participate in voting.

Number of Confirmed Cases Approaching Peak

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on the 8th, the number of new COVID-19 cases increased by 202,721 from the previous day, bringing the cumulative total to 4,869,691. Despite the usual weekend effect where the number of PCR tests decreases and new cases drop, daily confirmed cases have consistently exceeded 200,000. The number of critically ill patients hospitalized increased by 52 to reach 1,007, and the death toll was 186, the highest since the 5th when it was 216.

Previously, new confirmed cases surged from 99,568 on Tuesday, the 22nd of last month, to 171,450 on Wednesday, the 23rd, followed by 170,007 → 165,889 → 166,200 → 163,561. Then, on Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 1st of this month, the numbers decreased to 139,624 and 138,990 respectively, before sharply rising again to 219,228 on Wednesday the 2nd. Subsequently, the figures were 198,800 → 266,849 → 254,327 → 243,626 → 210,716.

Considering that the daily increase in new cases exceeded 80,000 on the 2nd and over 70,000 a week earlier on the 23rd, it is expected that new confirmed cases will significantly rise again on Wednesday, the 9th, the election day. Some experts predict the number could reach the 300,000 range. The health authorities, synthesizing forecasts from multiple domestic research institutions, anticipate more than 230,000 new cases on the 9th. There is also a projection that the epidemic will peak at up to 354,000 cases on the upcoming weekend, the 12th.

These forecasts were made before the removal of the vaccine pass and partial easing of social distancing measures. Professor Jeong Jae-hoon’s team from the Department of Preventive Medicine at Gachon University Gil Medical Center initially predicted that the epidemic would peak in mid-March with a maximum of 260,000 to 270,000 new cases, but after several policy relaxations were announced, they revised their estimate to over 300,000 cases, an increase of more than 10%, possibly as early as later this week.

Son Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Accident Response Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, explained the previous day, "New cases tend to be low on Mondays and Tuesdays and increase on Wednesdays as testing volume recovers. The rise in cases on election day is due to the effect of restored testing volume during the week."

Home Treatment Around 1.2 Million

As of this day, the number of patients receiving home treatment was recorded at 1,163,702. Considering that about 25% of new confirmed cases are among those aged 18 and under, it is estimated that approximately 870,000 home-treated patients are voters aged 18 and above. In addition to those receiving home treatment, patients hospitalized in hospitals, residents of living treatment centers, quarantined overseas arrivals, and close contacts in vulnerable facilities who are isolated must also vote as confirmed COVID-19 cases. Taking these groups into account, the number of people eligible to vote on election day is expected to exceed 900,000. However, since a considerable number have already participated in early voting, it is difficult to estimate how many will actually go to polling stations.

Jeong Eun-kyung, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said the previous day, "Although more than 200,000 new cases occur daily recently, some people are also being released from isolation, so an accurate estimate for that specific date needs to be confirmed. Currently, about 1.2 million people are isolated for home treatment, and the number is increasing. Therefore, depending on the scale of confirmed cases and releases from isolation on the 7th and 8th, the number of people under home or isolation treatment on election day may vary."

Confirmed and isolated voters on election day can vote from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Considering issues such as overlapping movement paths with non-infected general voters and the problem of sick confirmed patients waiting for long periods, health authorities have requested that confirmed and isolated individuals leave their homes after 5:50 PM.

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