<Anchor> The number of



additional new corona patients was tentatively counted at 1,600 as of 9:00 pm on the 20th, and it is expected to be around 1,800 today. There is concern that it will record a maximum, but the spread in non-metropolitan areas continues. Areas that are raising the level of distancing are also rapidly increasing.



This is Yoo Seung-hyun, medical reporter.



<Reporter>



Long lines are lining up at the temporary screening center in the old Haeundae Station.



From the afternoon of the day before yesterday to the morning of yesterday, Busan City's own counting results showed 97 confirmed cases per day, the highest number of people who wanted to be tested.



As mass infections centered on entertainment bars and schools spread throughout our daily lives, we decided to raise the distance from 00:00 today to three levels.



[Park Hyung-joon / Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City: We will monitor the situation until the weekend, and if it is determined that the situation does not improve, it is also possible to upgrade the distance to the highest level of 4... .]



Gyeongnam Changwon, Tongyeong, and Jinju cities were also raised to level 3 yesterday, and Daejeon will be raised to level 3 starting tomorrow.



The number of confirmed cases in non-metropolitan areas exceeded 30% of domestic cases for the third day, and quarantine measures were strengthened.



Quarantine authorities have diagnosed that the spread of the 4th epidemic will continue and the spread will intensify.



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.