With Daily New Cases Approaching 500,000, 'Social Distancing Adjustment' Enters Full Discussion

Increase in weekday tests + positive results from professional rapid antigen tests cause surge in confirmed cases
From today, only those aged 60+ and immunocompromised are managed as home treatment intensive care group

On the 14th, when a positive result from the rapid antigen test (RAT) for experts at local clinics led to a confirmed diagnosis without a separate PCR test, a clinic in Seoul was crowded with visitors seeking COVID-19 rapid antigen testing. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] As the Omicron variant pandemic passes its peak, the number of new COVID-19 cases is soaring to the mid-to-high 400,000s per day, expected to set an all-time record.

According to Seoul City and other local governments on the 16th, a total of 441,423 people tested positive nationwide across 17 cities and provinces from midnight to 9 p.m. the previous day.

This is the first time that the daily number of confirmed cases has exceeded 400,000 in both interim and daily tallies, surpassing the previous record of 383,659 cases on the 12th by more than 57,000.

When adding the additional confirmed cases counted until midnight the previous day, the announced figure for the day is expected to be in the high 400,000s, possibly approaching 500,000.

The government initially predicted that the Omicron wave would peak between the 16th and 22nd, with the scale of confirmed cases at the peak estimated to be around a weekly daily average of 316,000 to 372,000.

Wednesday, when testing volumes typically decrease over the weekend and then recover during the week, tends to show an increase in confirmed cases, which explains the sharp rise in new cases on this day. Additionally, from the 14th, people who tested positive on professional rapid antigen tests conducted at local clinics and hospitals were directly classified as confirmed COVID-19 cases without separate PCR testing, thus being included in the confirmed case statistics.

As the surge in confirmed cases continues, health authorities have decided to apply revised home care classification criteria and general ward treatment guidelines starting today. Due to the rapid increase in home treatment patients, only those aged 60 and above and immunocompromised individuals will be managed as intensive home care groups, while patients in their 50s with underlying conditions will be excluded from the intensive care group and classified as general care groups. Furthermore, confirmed patients who contracted COVID-19 while hospitalized for other illnesses will receive treatment in non-negative pressure general wards if they are not severe cases, without being moved to separate isolation wards.

Despite the record-high number of new confirmed cases, the government held a written meeting of the Daily Life Recovery Support Committee today to gather opinions from health and medical experts, as well as small business and self-employed groups, regarding adjustments to social distancing measures. Since the current social distancing rules of 'private gatherings limited to 6 people and business hours until 11 p.m.' are set to end on the 20th, a new social distancing adjustment plan is expected to be finalized around Friday the 18th.

Given that the government announced on the 4th its intention to ease distancing measures in earnest, there is growing expectation for relaxation of restrictions. However, with the number of confirmed cases breaking records daily and surging rapidly, some opinions suggest that it will be difficult to completely lift the current distancing measures.

Sohn Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a briefing the previous day, "Currently, we are at the stage of gathering opinions from the Daily Life Recovery Support Committee, local governments, and related ministries, so there is nothing to announce regarding the quarantine measures themselves." He added, "We will broadly collect opinions and evaluate the current situation to decide on the social distancing adjustment plan."

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