One Additional COVID-19 Patient, Total Confirmed Cases Reach 31

61-year-old Korean woman with no history of overseas travel
2 patients discharged after recovery and quarantine release... total 12
China's death toll falls below 100, signaling 'stabilization phase'

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol, Kim Heung-soon] One additional confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) was identified domestically, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in South Korea to 31. In China, 98 new deaths were reported, but the death toll fell below 100 for the first time in a week, showing signs of some easing.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that a 61-year-old Korean woman with no history of overseas travel was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient. This patient tested positive in a COVID-19 diagnostic test conducted at the Suseong District Public Health Center in Daegu and is currently isolated and receiving treatment at Daegu Medical Center, which has nationally designated inpatient treatment beds. This is the first case reported in the Yeongnam region.

The infection route, movement path, and contacts of the patient are currently under investigation by health authorities. If the patient did not have contact with previously confirmed patients, it is expected to be difficult to trace the source of infection, similar to the 29th and 30th confirmed cases. This raises concerns about community spread. The total number of patients discharged after recovery and quarantine release has increased by 2 from the previous day, reaching 12. Including confirmed cases, a total of 9,265 people have been tested for COVID-19 so far. Among them, 8,277 tested negative and were released from quarantine, while 957 are still undergoing testing.

Medical staff wearing protective suits are examining lung images of a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patient at the Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on the 16th.

The spread of COVID-19 in China appears to be slowing somewhat. According to the National Health Commission of China, 1,886 new confirmed cases were reported the previous day, bringing the cumulative total to 72,436. The death toll increased by 98 to 1,868. Until last week, daily new cases were increasing by 4,000 to 5,000, but the number has dropped to the 1,000 range. In Hubei Province, where Wuhan is located, there were 1,807 new cases and 93 deaths.

As of the morning of this day, excluding China, the country with the highest number of COVID-19 cases is Singapore, with 77 cases, an increase of 2 from the previous day. A 1-year-old child who returned on a chartered flight from Wuhan on the 9th and a 35-year-old adult male with no overseas travel history were newly confirmed. Many cases have been reported mainly in Asian countries such as Hong Kong (60), Japan (59, excluding 454 cruise ship cases), Thailand (35), Malaysia, and Taiwan (22 each). Outside China, deaths have been reported in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and France, with one death each.