While the momentum of the domestic Corona 19 'fourth pandemic' is getting stronger, the number of new confirmed cases soared to the late 1,700s today (21st), breaking the record again in a week.
The Central Quarantine Countermeasures Headquarters announced that as of 00:00 today, there were 1,784 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 182,265.
The number increased by 506 from yesterday (1,278 people), soaring to a level close to 1,800 people.
This is the highest number in one year and six months since January 20 last year, when the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Korea.
This is 170 more than the previous record, which was recorded on the 14th (1,614 people).
The 4th pandemic, which started in earnest in the metropolitan area this month, has recently spread to all parts of the non-metropolitan area and is becoming national.
In particular, the spread of the virus is so severe that there are areas where the first three-digit number of confirmed cases occurred in non-metropolitan cities.
While the fourth phase of 'social distancing' in the metropolitan area is scheduled to end on the 25th of this month, the government is in the position to monitor the situation until the weekend and decide whether to adjust the phase, but considering the current spread, it is not easy to lower the phase.
The number of confirmed cases per day has been in the four digits for the first time since the 7th (1,212 people).
From the 15th of this month to today, 1,599 → 1,536 → 1,452 → 1,454 → 1,252 → 1,278 → 1,784 by day , and more than 1,200 people came out every day.
With an average of 1,479 confirmed cases per day for one week, the daily average of local confirmed cases reached about 1,430.
Today, the route of infection of the new confirmed cases is 1,726 local cases and 58 people imported from abroad.
The number of local confirmed cases exceeded the previous record (1,567 on the 14th), as well as skipping 1,600 and going straight to the low of 1,700.
By region, 1,175 (68.1%) were in the metropolitan area, including 599 in Seoul, 450 in Gyeonggi, and 126 in Incheon.
The daily average number of confirmed cases in the metropolitan area for the past week was about 1,000, exceeding the level 4 standard (more than 1,000) for the second day following yesterday.
In particular, the weekly average number of confirmed cases in Seoul was about 507, which has been in the 500 range for six days since the 16th.
Non-metropolitan areas: Busan 100, Gyeongnam 86, Daejeon 72, Gangwon 54, Chungnam 48, Daegu and Jeju 34, Gyeongbuk 23, Gwangju 22, Jeonnam 21, Ulsan and Jeonbuk 18, Chungbuk 551 people (31.9%), including 15 people and 6 people in Sejong.
It is the first time since the 4th pandemic that the number of confirmed cases in non-metropolitan areas has crossed the 500 line, and more distantly since the 'first pandemic', when the number of confirmed cases poured out mainly in Daegu and Gyeongbuk between February and March of last year.
Non-metropolitan areas accounted for 30% of the total number of regional confirmed cases on the 18th (31.6%), and then recorded 32.9% → 32.9% → 31.9% daily, exceeding the 30% level for four days in a row.
The number of imported cases is 58, 22 more than yesterday (36).
Of these, 23 were identified during airport or port quarantine.
The remaining 35 people were located in Gyeonggi (15 people), Seoul (5 people), Gyeongnam (3 people), Busan/Daegu/Incheon/Gyeongbuk (2 people each), Gwangju/Daejeon/Chungnam/Jeonbuk (1 person each). During self-quarantine at a living facility, he tested positive.
The confirmed cases are believed to have come from 17 countries, with 29 locals and foreigners each.
By country, 11 Uzbekistan, 10 each in Indonesia and Myanmar, 6 each in the Philippines, 5 in the United States, 3 in Kyrgyzstan, 2 each in Japan and Tanzania, India, Bangladesh, UAE, Cambodia, UK, Bulgaria, Turkey, Brazil, Ghana 1 person each.
Combining local outbreaks and inflows (excluding quarantine), the total is 1,197, including 604 in Seoul, 465 in Gyeonggi, and 128 in Incheon.
Nationwide, there were confirmed cases in 17 cities and provinces.
On the other hand, the confirmed cases of the 34th Marines of the Cheonghae Unit, who were dispatched to the Gulf of Aden waters and returned home early yesterday due to a group infection, will be reflected in the statistics (overseas inflow) as of 00:00 tomorrow.
In the on-site test, 247 out of a total of 301 people tested positive, but the number may change slightly depending on the results of the PCR test after returning home.
(Photo = Yonhap News)