While the Omicron mutation epidemic entered the peak section, the number of new confirmed cases was 330,000, a decrease of about 40,000 from yesterday (19th).



The Central Defense Countermeasures Headquarters announced that as of 00:00 today, the number of new confirmed cases has increased by 333,708, and the cumulative number of confirmed cases is about 9373,000.



The number of new confirmed cases decreased by 46,000 from yesterday, recording 300,000 for two days in a row.



Due to the decrease in the number of weekend tests, the Sunday count tends to be less, but it is 15,000 fewer than last Sunday.



According to the authorities' tally, the scale of the Omicron epidemic recorded 621,000 new confirmed cases on the 17th and is showing a decreasing trend.



But whether the trend has passed its peak and has turned into a downtrend may be seen this week.



The government predicted that "according to expert forecasts, the peak is expected to pass between the 12th and the day after tomorrow (22nd), and it will gradually decrease after the 23rd."



There is a possibility that the scale of infection may increase further as social distancing measures are implemented to increase the maximum number of private gatherings from 6 to 8 from the 21st.



The situation of the dead and critically ill patients is not improving.



The daily death toll was 327, the second highest on record, eight more than the death toll announced yesterday (319).



The cumulative death toll was 12,428, and the cumulative fatality rate was 0.13%.



As of 00:00 today, the number of patients with severe gastritis was 1,33, which was 16 fewer than yesterday (1,049).



The government expects the number of severe cases and deaths to become the largest two to three weeks after the number of new confirmed cases peaks.



The nationwide utilization rate of critically ill beds was 67.6%, an increase of 1.7 percentage points from yesterday (65.9%).



There were a total of 2146,000 home-treated patients, an increase of 61,000 from yesterday.



There are over 315,000 people in the intensive care group, including those aged 60 and over who are under health monitoring by a home treatment management medical institution, and those with weakened immune systems, and the rest are general management groups who manage their health at home.



(Photo = Yonhap News)