<Anchor> The
number of new corona cases last night (20th) has already exceeded the record set last week. It seems that there will be around 1,800 people today. As the spread continues in both metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, more and more regions are raising the level of distancing.
Reporter Kim Kwan-jin reports.
<Reporter> The
number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the country was tentatively counted as 1,681 from 00:00 to 9pm yesterday.
This figure excludes the number of confirmed cases in the Cheonghae Unit, and is the highest since the outbreak of the Corona 19 in Korea.
There were 1,160 people in the metropolitan area and 521 people in the non-metropolitan area.
Considering the trend of spread, the number of confirmed cases to be announced this morning is expected to reach around 1800.
Phase 4 of social distancing in the metropolitan area is scheduled to end on the 25th, but an extension seems inevitable if the spread continues.
From the afternoon of the previous day to the morning of yesterday, Busan, where the highest number of confirmed cases per day was 97, has decided to raise the distance from 00:00 today to three levels as group infections centered on entertainment bars and schools spread throughout everyday life.
Gyeongnam Changwon, Tongyeong, and Jinju cities were also raised to level 3 yesterday, and Daejeon will be raised to level 3 starting tomorrow.
The fact that the detection rate of 'delta mutation', which has strong radio wave power, increased to 33.9% in the past week is also raising concerns.
[Lee Sang-won / Head of Epidemiological Investigation and Analysis Team, Central Quarantine Countermeasures Headquarters: If you look at the weekly reproduction index, there is still no evidence that it decreases. The epidemic is continuing, and it is expected that an upward trend will continue in the future.]
However, the quarantine authorities decided to allow face-to-face worship only to 19 people within 10% of the church's capacity even in the 4th stage of the distance.