<Anchor> The



number of patients from non-metropolitan areas exceeded 400 for the first time since early last year. As the number of patients rapidly increased in various places, 10 cities and provinces raised the level of distancing from today (15th), and each local government is taking additional measures.



Continuing to be reporter Ahn Heejae



<Reporter>



Except for the metropolitan area, Busan and Gyeongnam have the highest number of new daily cases.



More than 140 people were confirmed to be confirmed in one day, and in particular, group infections from entertainment establishments continue.



So far, a total of 165 people have been confirmed at 23 entertainment establishments in Busan, and 111 people have tested positive for entertainment establishments in Gimhae alone.



While large and small infections continue in various places such as bathhouses, restaurants, and sports facilities, the number of new confirmed cases in non-metropolitan areas is 457, which is close to 30% of all confirmed cases.



This is the first time that the number of confirmed cases in non-metropolitan areas has exceeded 400 since the first pandemic, centered in Daegu and Gyeongbuk at the beginning of last year.



Each municipality has an emergency.



10 cities and provinces in non-metropolitan areas have entered the second stage of distancing from today, and Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do and Gimhae-si, Gyeongnam, have gone one step further and announced the upgrade to the third stage.



[Kim Han-geun/Gangneung Mayor: We plan to operate social distancing in three stages from 00:00 on the 17th until it is lifted separately. There is a concern that the balloon effect in the metropolitan area will explode from this weekend... .]



In Cheonan, as more than 30 confirmed cases of entertainment pubs emerged in four days, about 450 entertainment establishments went on voluntary closure until this weekend.



However, the government has taken a cautious stance on the three-stage upgrade in a lump sum.



He said that there is a big difference in the epidemic by region, and it is effective to take quarantine measures that are appropriate for the situation.



The government will monitor the situation until next week and decide what to do next.



(Video coverage: Heo Chun, Kim Min-cheol, video editing: Yu Mira)