82 New COVID-19 Cases Yesterday... First Time Below 100 in 38 Days

On the 4th, medical staff at the screening clinic of Seoul Medical Center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, are guiding citizens who are about to undergo testing. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 20th at midnight that the number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea increased by 82, bringing the total to 22,975.

The daily new confirmed cases fell below 100 for the first time in 38 days since August 13 (56 cases).

New confirmed cases had recorded three digits for 37 consecutive days from August 14, when cluster infections in the metropolitan area began in earnest, until the day before.

After once soaring to the 400s (441 cases on August 27), the numbers gradually dropped to the 300s and 200s, and from the 3rd to the day before, they remained in the 100s for 17 consecutive days (195→198→168→167→119→136→156→155→176→136→121→109→106→113→153→126→110).

Of the 82 new confirmed cases reported that day, 72 were locally transmitted, and 10 were imported.

Local transmission cases had recorded three-digit numbers for four consecutive days from the 16th (105→145→109→106), but dropped back to double digits after five days.