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number of new COVID-19 cases reached 18,000, the highest in 40 days.

There is also an evaluation that a re-fashion has become visible, but overseas, more and more countries are reviving the duty of outdoor masks.



Reporter Han Seong-hee reports.



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There are 18,147 new cases of COVID-19.



This is the highest number in 40 days since 18,805 people on May 26th.



As of Tuesday, the number was 1.8 times higher than last week's 9,894 and nearly three times higher than a month ago.



The number of weekly confirmed cases also increased by 21.2% from the previous week to about 60,000, an increase for the first time in 15 weeks.



In particular, the detection rate of the omicron submutation BA.5, which evades basal immunity, was increased to 24.1%.



[Lim Sook-young / Head of the Central Defense Countermeasures Headquarters: Higher-than-expected re-spreading potential due to increased summer activity, increased detection rate of mutation BA.5, which is highly likely to avoid immunity, and decreased immunity over time. ]



However, the proportion of patients in their 20s is large, so the rate of increase in patients with severe cases is relatively small.



The number of patients with severe severe cases decreased by 2 to 54, maintaining the level of 50 for 7 days in a row.



There were two deaths.



Overseas, where the resurgence has been in full swing, countries are coming out one after another to revive the outdoor mask duty that has been loosened.



[Pena/Peru Health Minister: We are already going through the fourth wave.

It is obligatory to wear a mask in any environment, whether inside or abroad.]



France, which lifted all mask obligations, asked them to wear a mask on public transport last week as the number of confirmed cases increased for the first time in two months since April.



On the other hand, it is known that most of the first confirmed cases of monkey pox in Korea have disappeared and can be discharged soon.



The government explained that it is currently in the process of signing a contract for the third-generation monkeypox vaccine for 5,000 people.