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Today (16th), the number of new confirmed cases is expected to approach 500,000.

It seems that the recognition of rapid antigen tests performed by hospitals and clinics as positive confirmations was reflected, and the number is increasing much faster than the government predicted.



By Park Jae-hyung, staff reporter.



<Reporter>



Even in the afternoon, there is a continuous line of people trying to get a rapid antigen test.



[(How long will it take?) It takes over an hour.

(Is there a lot of waiting?) Yes, everything is.

These days.] There



are also hospitals that have test kits in the morning.



[Seoul Yangcheon-gu Neighborhood Hospital Official: Sorry, but we ran out of kits (afternoon test) so we can't do it.]



The burden on the medical staff who had to enter the patient information into the computer system has increased that much.



[Chairman of a local hospital in Jongno-gu, Seoul: Yesterday, there were more than 50 confirmed cases.

If I have it left and work, I go home from 9 to 10, but home counseling is not possible because the number of tests increases.] The



quarantine authorities expected that the number of confirmed cases would increase by about 5% after the rapid antigen test was confirmed.



However, in just one day, the number of confirmed cases increased by nearly 80,000, bringing the total to 441,423 as of 9 pm last night.



As the number of confirmed cases rapidly increases, there is also a possibility that the daily average of 372,000 people predicted by the quarantine authorities will greatly exceed the peak of the epidemic.



Among these, the number of severe cases and deaths was also recorded at an all-time high.



Both will continue to increase for two or three weeks after peaking, but the fatality rate is declining, the government said.



The distance adjustment plan that will be applied from next week will be discussed at the Daily Recovery Support Committee today.



A key government official said that the direction is toward lifting restrictions on the number of gatherings and business hours, but the complete lifting of the distance has not yet been discussed.