The number of new crown cases in South Korea has exceeded 50,000 for 5 consecutive days, and the demand for new crown self-test kits has soared
The Korea Centers for Disease Control announced on the 14th that there were 54,619 new confirmed cases of the new crown in South Korea the day before.
This is the fifth consecutive day that the number of new cases in South Korea has exceeded 50,000 in a single day.
The South Korean health department predicts that the number of daily confirmed cases will rise further in the future, given the rapid spread of the highly contagious new coronavirus variant Omicron strain in South Korea.
Data map: In Seoul, South Korea, medical staff test a citizen for the new crown virus.
Yonhap News Agency reported that as of 0:00 on the 14th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in South Korea has exceeded 1.405 million, and the cumulative number of deaths has reached 7,102, with an average fatality rate of 0.51%; there are 306 severe cases.
The Omicron virus strain is currently raging in South Korea. The number of new cases in a single day has soared recently. The number of new cases reported on the 26th of last month exceeded 10,000 for the first time. For example, on the 9th, it reported more than 40,000 cases for the first time, and it exceeded 50,000 on the 10th.
South Korea's health department has warned that by the end of this month, the number of new confirmed cases of the new crown may reach 170,000.
According to the estimates of the National Institute of Mathematical Sciences in South Korea, a think tank, according to the current trend, the number of new cases in a single day in early March will reach 360,000.
Statistics also show that as of 0:00 on the 14th, the number of mild and asymptomatic patients treated at home in South Korea exceeded 232,000, a new high.
In view of the emergence of more mild and asymptomatic cases, in order to optimize epidemic prevention and control, the Korean government has decided not to conduct daily telephone follow-up for low-risk confirmed cases under home observation from the 10th, leaving the opportunity for follow-up to those aged 60 and above or Diagnosed at high risk with underlying medical conditions.
Those diagnosed at low risk should monitor their health status by themselves and contact the hospital if symptoms worsen.
This has led to a surge in demand for new crown self-testing boxes.
In order to stabilize the market supply, the Korean government has stipulated that the online sales of new coronavirus self-test kits are prohibited for three weeks from the 13th of this month to March 5th. Consumers must purchase offline from pharmacies and designated convenience store chains. Limit 5 boxes per person.
From the 14th to the end of this month, the South Korean government will provide self-test kits for 30 million people to pharmacies and designated convenience store chains.
As of the 14th, about 44.22 million people in South Korea's population of about 52 million have completed the whole course of the new crown vaccine; about 29.43 million people have received the first booster dose of the new crown vaccine.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean government plans to launch a second booster dose of vaccination for certain groups this month.