COVID-19 Cases Increase by 123 Overnight to Total 556... 4 Deaths Reported (Update)

A COVID-19 confirmed patient hospitalized at Cheongdo Daenam Hospital in Gyeongbuk is being transferred to Busan National University Hospital. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] On the 23rd, 123 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) were reported in South Korea. The total number of confirmed cases surpassed 500. The number of deaths related to COVID-19 also increased by 2, bringing the total to 4.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that as of 9 a.m. on this day, 123 new COVID-19 patients were confirmed domestically. This figure includes cases reported from 4 p.m. on the 22nd through the overnight period. The cumulative number of confirmed cases surged from 433 in the afternoon of the previous day to 556, breaking the 500 mark for the first time.

The death toll also rose by 2. The 443rd patient (born in 1979, male) who died overnight in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, tested positive for COVID-19 posthumously. The 54th patient (born in 1963, male), who was confirmed positive on the 19th at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, Gyeongbuk, also died on this day. The health authorities are investigating the correlation between the deaths of these two patients and COVID-19. The total number of deaths among confirmed COVID-19 patients in South Korea has now reached 4.

By region, additional confirmed cases increased by 113 in Daegu and Gyeongbuk areas, 4 in Gyeongnam, 2 in Busan, 2 in Gyeonggi, 1 in Gwangju, and 1 in Jeju. Among these, 75 new cases related to the Shincheonji Daegu Church cluster infection have been confirmed so far.

The number of patients who have been discharged after recovery remains at 18, the same as the previous afternoon. As of 9 a.m., the number of suspected patients with symptoms such as fever and cough after traveling to China and other COVID-19 epidemic countries stands at 22,077, an increase of 924 from 21,153 the previous afternoon. Among them, 16,038 tested negative, and 6,039 are still undergoing testing.