Local Cases Reach 500s... Non-Capital Region Spread 'Critical'

First Time Since Mid-February... Prime Minister Jeong: "Vaccine Passport Authentication App to Launch This Month"

On the 22nd, citizens are waiting to undergo specimen testing at the temporary COVID-19 screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Jihee Kim, Sunhee Son] The spread of COVID-19 in South Korea is rising again. The number of new daily confirmed cases has risen to the mid-500s for two consecutive days, with locally transmitted cases excluding imported cases surpassing 500. This is the first time since mid-February, right after the Lunar New Year holiday when COVID-19 testing surged and daily cases soared to the 600s, that local cases have reached the 500s.

As of midnight on the 1st, the Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased by 551 from the previous day to 103,639. This marks two consecutive days with daily cases in the 500s, following 506 cases the day before. Of the new cases, 537 were locally transmitted and 14 were imported. The local cases surpassing 500 is the first time in 41 days since February 19.

Over the past week, the daily average of new confirmed cases has reached 480. In particular, the average daily local cases, a key indicator for adjusting social distancing levels, stand at about 464. Since re-entering the social distancing level 2.5 range (nationwide 400 to 500 or more cases) in the second week of March, the spread has continued for four weeks without signs of slowing down.

Authorities are especially concerned about the rapid increase in cases outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Until now, 70-80% of domestic cases were concentrated in the metropolitan area, leading authorities to tighten control measures there. However, recently the proportion of cases outside the metropolitan area has jumped to the 40% range. Regarding the current situation, authorities assessed that "while the metropolitan area remains stagnant, non-metropolitan areas are experiencing numerous cluster infections in multi-use facilities due to increased springtime mobility and the easing of social distancing to level 1.5." On this day, double-digit cases were reported in Busan (53), Jeonbuk (22), Gyeongnam (21), Gangwon (20), Chungbuk (19), Chungnam (15), and Sejong (13).

Mobility is also increasing. Last weekend, nationwide mobility reached about 65 million cases, up approximately 1% compared to the previous weekend. During this period, mobility in the metropolitan area decreased by 3.4%, while mobility outside the metropolitan area increased by 5.6%, raising concerns about the spread of COVID-19 infections.

Calls for strengthening quarantine measures are growing. In Busan, where the recent rise in cases has been steep, upgrading social distancing to level 2 is under consideration. Professor Eunmi Cheon of the Respiratory Medicine Department at Ewha Mokdong Hospital said, "As social distancing restrictions on multi-use facilities are lifted, cases are increasing, especially among young people who mostly use these facilities where variant viruses are spreading." She added, "Quarantine rules for multi-use facilities such as restaurants, cafes, and entertainment bars should be strengthened, and strong administrative sanctions such as '10-day business suspension' should be prepared for violations."

Prime Minister Se-kyun Chung presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on the same day and stated, "To truly feel the recovery of daily life after vaccination, the introduction of so-called ‘vaccine passports’ or ‘green cards’ is necessary," adding, "The certification application (app) will be officially launched this month." Prime Minister Chung explained, "The government started preparations early this year and has already completed the development of a system that allows easy proof of vaccination on smartphones," and "By utilizing blockchain technology, the possibility of forgery or tampering is completely blocked, and no personal information is stored at all."