Prime Minister to Announce Strengthened Quarantine Measures Around 4:30 PM
On the first weekend of social distancing level 2 in the metropolitan area, on the 29th, citizens are waiting for COVID-19 testing at the screening clinic of the National Medical Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] On the 28th, the number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea was recorded at 450. The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced on the 29th at midnight that the cumulative number of domestic COVID-19 cases increased by 450 to a total of 33,824. This marks a decrease from the previous day, dropping below 500 for the first time in four days.
Among the 450 new confirmed cases, 413 were locally transmitted and 37 were imported. The number of locally transmitted cases remained in the 400s for the second consecutive day. The Seoul metropolitan area accounted for 263 cases, with 146 in Seoul, 95 in Gyeonggi, and 22 in Incheon. Outside the metropolitan area, cases were reported as follows: 21 in Busan, 20 in Chungbuk, 19 in Gangwon, 19 in Jeonnam, 17 in Jeonbuk, 15 in Gyeongnam, 12 in Chungnam, 11 in Gyeongbuk, 6 in Gwangju, 6 in Daejeon, 3 in Sejong, and 1 in Daegu.
Regarding the 37 imported cases, the countries of presumed origin were led by the United States with 12 cases. The Philippines and Switzerland each had 3 cases; China, Russia, Indonesia, India, Ukraine, and Germany each had 2 cases; and Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Ethiopia each had 1 case. Among the confirmed cases, 27 were Korean nationals and 10 were foreigners.
The number of newly released from isolation was 193, bringing the total to 27,542 (81.42%) who have been released from isolation, with 5,759 currently in isolation. There are 76 patients in critical condition, and the death toll increased by 1 to a total of 523 (fatality rate 1.55%).
Although the number of confirmed cases is showing a slight decrease, this is partly influenced by a reduction of about 7,000 tests conducted over the weekend compared to the previous weekday. The health authorities anticipate that the spread will continue for the time being, as cluster infections continue to emerge in everyday settings such as family and acquaintances' gatherings, schools, academies, and saunas.
Accordingly, the government plans to discuss raising the level of 'social distancing' measures at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting this afternoon. Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun, who presides over the meeting, will hold an emergency press briefing around 4:30 p.m. to announce strengthened quarantine measures related to the third wave of COVID-19.
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