<Anchor> The number of
additional COVID-19 cases has exceeded 7,000. This is the highest number since the first corona virus was confirmed in Korea early last year. On November 1, when the gradual recovery of daily life began, the number of confirmed cases per day was around 1,600, which has quadrupled in just one month. In particular, the number of patients surged by more than 2,000 in the last week, and the number of patients was expected to some extent, but the problem is that the rate is too fast.
This is the first news reporter Jung Da-eun.
<Reporter> This
is a screening clinic in Seoul Plaza.
There was a long line of people waiting to be tested for COVID-19.
Inspections go on without a break, but new people are constantly coming in.
Today (8th), when 7,000 confirmed cases per day for the first time in history, testers continued to visit screening clinics across the country.
The number of confirmed cases increased by more than 2,000 in one day from 4,954 the previous day, a 40% increase from 5,122 on the same day last week.
There have been more than 5,500 confirmed cases in the metropolitan area alone.
This is a much faster rate of increase than the government initially expected.
The main infected are children and adolescents who have not received the vaccine and the elderly aged 60 years or older, where breakthrough infection occurs due to the ineffectiveness of the vaccine.
[Kim Bu-gyeom/Prime Minister: 35% of all confirmed cases and 84% of severe cases are over 60 years old.
Schools and families are threatened by the rapidly increasing number of youth infections.] The
main cause is the rapid increase in personal meetings and social activities from all walks of life after the gradual recovery of daily life on the 1st of last month.
Although the government has strengthened some quarantine measures since this week, it is not easy to slow the increase in the number of confirmed cases.
[Sonyoungrae / Central accidents probation office social strategy foreman. And reported that it is in these parts the effect they appear within 1-2 weeks importantly, a situation that is observed closely appears not appear that such an effect]
confirmed Now the people some people The infection reproduction index, which indicates whether it infects or not, is 1.16, which is expected to increase compared to now.
If the activity of citizens further increases during the year-end and New Year holidays, the possibility of more than 10,000 confirmed cases per day cannot be ruled out.
(Video coverage: Kim Jong-tae, VJ: Oh Se-gwan)
▶ The expansion of beds is slow...
More than 800 patients in critical condition
▶ Increase living expenses for home treatment, reduce family quarantine period