375 Confirmed Cases at 6 PM on the 9th... Expected to Stay Below 500 Tomorrow

75 Fewer Cases Compared to Same Time Previous Day... Seoul and Gyeonggi Regions Account for 266 Cases

Citizens continue to visit the Gwangju Buk-gu Screening Clinic to get tested for COVID-19. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Amid the continued spread of COVID-19, according to health authorities and local governments including Seoul City, a total of 375 new confirmed cases testing positive for COVID-19 were recorded nationwide from midnight to 6 p.m. on the 9th.

This figure is 75 fewer than the 450 cases recorded at the same time the previous day. The consecutive two-day decrease in the interim confirmed cases reflects the reduced number of tests conducted over the weekend and holidays, making it difficult to conclude that the recent spread has subsided.

By region, 266 cases (70.9%) were reported in the metropolitan area, and 109 cases (29.1%) in non-metropolitan areas. By city and province, Gyeonggi had 130 cases, Seoul 123, Busan 20, Gyeongbuk 19, Gyeongnam 16, Incheon 13, Ulsan 12, Gwangju, Chungnam, and Jeju each 7, Daegu, Chungbuk, Gangwon, and Jeonbuk 4 each, Jeonnam 3, and Daejeon 2. Among the 17 cities and provinces nationwide, Sejong reported no confirmed cases.

Since there is still time until midnight when the tally closes, the number of new confirmed cases announced at midnight on the 10th is expected to increase to the mid-to-high 400s, possibly around 500. On the previous day, 114 cases were added after 6 p.m., closing at a final count of 564.

From the 3rd to the 9th, the daily new confirmed cases over the past week were 488 → 541 → 676 → 574 → 525 → 701 → 564, averaging about 581 new cases per day. Additionally, with cluster infections occurring nationwide recently, the '4th wave' is observed to be ongoing.

The average daily number of locally transmitted cases is about 556, remaining within the 2.5 level (nationwide 400?500 or more cases).

Major cluster infection cases show spread in families, acquaintances, churches, workplaces, and other places. In Seoul, new cluster outbreaks were reported at a church in Seodaemun-gu (case 2, 15 cases) and a workplace in Dongdaemun-gu (case 5, 12 cases). In Nam-gu, Ulsan, the number of confirmed cases related to a large supermarket increased by 2, totaling 48 cases.

In Cheonan, Chungnam, several foreigners who used a restaurant and lodging were confirmed positive, bringing the total confirmed cases to 5. In Gyeongnam, additional infection cases have emerged mainly among contacts of existing confirmed cases, and epidemiological investigations are underway.