Infection Reproduction Number Soars from 1.05 to 1.40 in One Week (Update)

COVID-19 Risk Level Raised from 'Low to Moderate' After 8 Weeks

On the 12th, with 37,360 new COVID-19 cases reported, marking the first time in 55 days that the number has fallen into the 30,000 range, citizens lined up at a screening clinic set up at Mapo-gu Public Health Center in Seoul to get tested. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] As the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates, the weekly number of new confirmed cases increased by 87% compared to the previous week. The COVID-19 risk level was raised from 'low' to 'medium' for the seventh consecutive week.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 12th, the weekly number of COVID-19 confirmed cases for the first week of July (July 3?9) was 111,910 (daily average 15,987), a staggering 87.0% increase from the previous week (59,844). The weekly confirmed cases had been steadily decreasing since the third week of March (2,822,000), but in the fifth week of June, after 15 weeks, they increased by 21.2% compared to the previous week, and in the first week of July, the increase rate expanded nearly fourfold again.

The infection reproduction number (Rt) was 1.40, marking five consecutive weeks of increase since the first week of June. The Rt, which had dropped to 0.74 in the first week of June, rose to 0.79 in the second week, 0.86 in the third week, 0.91 in the fourth week, and 1.05 in the fifth week of June, before sharply increasing in the most recent week. The Rt quantifies how many people one infected person infects; a value above 1 indicates the epidemic is spreading, while below 1 means it is being suppressed.

The daily incidence rate increased across all age groups compared to the previous week. The highest incidence rate was observed in people in their 20s (50.4 cases), and the 20s age group also accounted for the largest proportion of total cases at 21.0%.

The number of confirmed cases aged 60 and above, who are at higher risk of severe illness, rose significantly from 8,205 in the fifth week of June to 14,220 in the first week of July, although their proportion decreased from 13.7% to 12.7%.

The weekly number of new critically ill patients in the first week of July was 48, a 4.0% decrease from the previous week. Meanwhile, the weekly death toll was 62, a 34.8% increase from 46 the previous week.

In particular, analysis of deaths over the past week showed that elderly people, the unvaccinated, and those with underlying conditions are vulnerable to COVID-19. Among the deaths in the first week of July, 96.8% (60 people) were aged 60 or older, with 54.8% (34 people) aged 80 or above, 35.5% (22 people) in their 70s, and 6.5% (4 people) in their 60s.

The detection rate of the Omicron variant was confirmed to be 100.0% for both domestic infections and imported cases. The detection rate of the BA.5 variant, which is becoming dominant recently, slightly decreased domestically from 24.1% in the fifth week of June to 23.7% in the first week of July, while it significantly increased in imported cases from 19.2% to 70.0%.

During the week, 260 cases of the Omicron BA.5 variant were identified (120 domestic, 140 imported), with an additional 80 cases of BA.2.12.1 and 24 cases of BA.4 confirmed.

The nationwide intensive care unit (ICU) and semi-intensive care unit bed occupancy rates both increased compared to the previous week. The ICU bed occupancy rate nationwide was 7.8%, and the semi-ICU bed occupancy rate was 16.9%. Notably, the semi-ICU bed occupancy rate in non-metropolitan areas rose to 27.4%.

The COVID-19 risk level for the first week of July was raised from 'low' to 'medium' for the first time in eight weeks. The Central Disease Control Headquarters stated, "Considering the two consecutive weeks of increases in confirmed cases and the infection reproduction number, as well as the rise in deaths, the risk level was raised to medium nationwide, in the metropolitan area, and in non-metropolitan areas," and predicted, "The increase in confirmed cases is expected to continue, including the rising detection rate of the BA.5 variant among imported cases."

The Central Disease Control Headquarters reiterated the importance of voluntary adherence to personal preventive measures nationwide ahead of the summer vacation season. Lim Sook-young, the situation chief of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, urged, "To prevent a resurgence during the vacation season, please avoid large gatherings and instead meet in small family groups, avoid crowded places and times, wear masks in the '3Cs' environments (closed spaces, crowded places, close-contact settings), wash hands frequently, observe cough etiquette, and conduct regular ventilation and disinfection."

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