COVID-19 New Cases at 280,000 Level... Lowest in 5 Weeks for Wednesday (Update)

Deaths Increase by 162 from Previous Day
Severe Cases Remain in 1100s

On the 4th, citizens waiting to get tested at a temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul City Hall Plaza in Jung-gu, Seoul, where the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases is showing a gradual decline. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] As the Omicron wave continues to decline, the number of new COVID-19 cases fell to the 200,000 range on Wednesday for the first time in five weeks. Since Wednesday, March 9, when new cases reached the 300,000 range, the number of new cases every Wednesday had been over 400,000.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on the 6th, the number of new COVID-19 cases increased by 286,294 from the previous day, bringing the total cumulative cases to 14,553,644.

The drop to the 200,000 range for new cases on a Wednesday is the first since March 2, when there were 219,223 cases, marking a five-week interval. On March 9, new cases rose to the 300,000 range (342,430), followed by 400,578 on the 16th, 490,780 on the 23rd, and 424,597 on the 30th, all in the 400,000 range. Considering that the "weekend effect" usually disappears completely by Wednesday and the highest number of cases during the week is reported then, it is highly likely that the remaining weekly new cases will be below 280,000.

As of midnight on the same day, the number of critically ill patients was 1,128, an increase of 7 from the previous day (1,121). The number of critically ill patients has remained in the 1,100 range for five consecutive days. Deaths increased by 162 from the previous day (209) to 371, the highest since March 31 (375). The cumulative death toll stands at 18,033, with a fatality rate of 0.12%.

The nationwide utilization rate of COVID-19 critical care beds was 60.6%, down 4.2 percentage points from the previous day (64.8%). The rate was 58.0% in the metropolitan area and 66.9% in non-metropolitan areas. The utilization rate in non-metropolitan areas had risen to 70.6% on the 10th of last month but dropped to the 60% range after 28 days.

Currently, the total number of patients receiving home treatment nationwide is 1,344,692, of whom 129,402 are in the intensive management group receiving health care from medical institutions. As of the 5th, the number of new home treatment cases was 275,998.

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