355 New COVID-19 Cases... Weekend Effect Seems Reflected (Comprehensive)

355 New COVID-19 Cases on the 1st... Total 90,029
Consecutive Two Days in the 300s... Likely Reflecting Weekend and Holiday Effects

As the third wave of COVID-19 continues in South Korea, citizens are undergoing diagnostic tests at the temporary screening center at Seoul Station in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 28th. As of midnight on that day, the number of new confirmed cases was recorded at 356. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The number of new COVID-19 cases was recorded in the mid-300s.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on the 1st, there were 355 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 90,029. This is one less than the previous day (356), maintaining the 300s for two consecutive days. This is partly due to the significant decrease in testing on weekends and holidays compared to weekdays.

Over the past week (February 23 to March 1), the daily new cases were 356 → 440 → 395 → 390 → 415 → 356 → 355. There were five days in the 300s and two days in the 400s.

By infection route, 338 cases were locally transmitted, and 17 were imported. Among the locally transmitted cases, 156 were in Gyeonggi, 92 in Seoul, and 14 in Incheon, totaling 262 cases in the metropolitan area, accounting for 77.5% of all local cases. Non-metropolitan areas reported 76 cases: 16 in Busan, 10 each in Daegu, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongbuk, 8 in Chungbuk, 6 in Gwangju, 5 in Gangwon, 4 in Gyeongnam, 2 each in Ulsan, Chungnam, and Jeonnam, and 1 in Sejong.

Major new infection cases include cluster infections linked to workplaces, family, and acquaintances' gatherings. In a one-room apartment in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, a total of 13 people, including attendees of a gathering, tested positive. In Dongducheon-si, Gyeonggi, 10 people were confirmed positive related to a daycare center. In Chungbuk's Cheongju and Jincheon, 5 and 3 family members respectively tested positive.

Additionally, new cases were added to existing cluster infections such as the Yeongsaenggyo church and tutoring academy in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi (total 161 cases), and the fitness center in Jeonju, Jeonbuk (44 cases).

There were 17 imported cases, 5 fewer than the previous day (22). Among them, 5 were identified during quarantine inspections at airports or ports. The remaining 12 tested positive while in self-quarantine at their residences or temporary living facilities in Gyeonggi (4), Gyeongbuk (3), Gwangju and Chungnam (2 each), and Gyeongnam (1). The presumed countries of origin are Pakistan (3), Indonesia, Japan, the United States, and Morocco (2 each), and Nepal, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, the United Kingdom, and Mexico (1 each). Among the confirmed cases, 9 were Korean nationals and 8 were foreigners.

Combining local and imported cases (excluding quarantine), the metropolitan area reported 266 cases: 160 in Gyeonggi, 92 in Seoul, and 14 in Incheon. New cases were reported in 15 provinces nationwide, excluding Daejeon and Jeju.

The death toll increased by 2 from the previous day, reaching a total of 1,605. The domestic average fatality rate is 1.78%. The number of critically ill patients was 131, 4 fewer than the previous day. As of this day, 373 patients were released from isolation, totaling 81,070, while the number of patients receiving isolation treatment decreased by 20 to 7,354.

The number of tests conducted at screening clinics the previous day was 16,749, 5,042 fewer than the 21,791 tests on the previous day. It was also 22,103 fewer than the 38,852 tests conducted on the last weekday, February 26.

The positivity rate calculated from the previous day's tests was 2.12% (355 positive cases out of 16,749 tests), higher than the previous day's 1.63% (356 out of 21,791). The cumulative positivity rate as of midnight that day was 1.35% (90,029 positive cases out of 6,665,755 tests).

Meanwhile, the Central Disease Control Headquarters initially announced a cumulative total of 89,676 cases as of midnight the previous day, but corrected it to 89,674 after excluding 2 false positives confirmed in the Gyeongbuk region on the 26th.

The government has extended the current social distancing measures (Level 2 in the metropolitan area, Level 1.5 in non-metropolitan areas) and the ban on private gatherings of five or more people until the 14th of this month to ensure that the vaccination campaign started at the end of last month and the new semester for elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide proceed smoothly.