Over 600 New Cases in 13 Days... Authorities Say "Cluster Infections Continue in Schools, Churches, etc." (Comprehensive)

605 Local Cases, 40 Imported Cases

On the 20th, when the number of new COVID-19 cases remained in the 400s for the second consecutive day at 429, medical staff at a temporary screening clinic set up in Seoul Station Plaza are collecting samples from citizens. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] On the 23rd, the number of new domestic COVID-19 cases recorded 645. The daily number of confirmed cases, which had been in the 300s until the previous day, rose to the 600s as the weekend effect disappeared. In particular, it is the first time in 13 days since the 10th (610 cases) that more than 600 cases were confirmed in a single day.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced that as of midnight on that day, the number of new domestic COVID-19 cases increased by 645, bringing the total to 152,545. Looking at the infection routes, 605 cases were locally transmitted, and 40 were imported from overseas. On that day, the number of suspected case tests was 29,906, the number of tests at temporary screening clinics in the metropolitan area was 29,664, and the number of tests at temporary screening clinics outside the metropolitan area was 3,083, totaling 62,653 tests. At the metropolitan area temporary screening clinics, 95 people tested positive, and 3 people tested positive at clinics outside the metropolitan area.

In the metropolitan area, 228 cases were reported in Seoul, 180 in Gyeonggi, and 26 in Incheon. Outside the metropolitan area, 57 cases were reported in Daejeon, followed by 21 in Gyeongbuk, 18 in Gyeongnam, 17 in Gangwon, 13 in Busan, 10 in Chungbuk, 9 in Chungnam, 7 in Sejong, 6 in Daegu, 5 in Ulsan, 4 in Gwangju, and 2 each in Jeonbuk and Jeonnam. No additional cases were reported in Jeju.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths increased by one from the previous day to 2,007. The number of critically ill patients increased by 11 from the previous day to 146. The number of patients who were declared recovered and released from isolation increased by 562, totaling 144,379.

Kwon Deok-cheol, the 1st Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of Health and Welfare), expressed concern during the CDCH meeting, stating, "On a weekly basis, a considerable number of new domestic cases averaging in the mid-400s per day continue to occur," and "The proportion of confirmed cases with unknown infection routes exceeds 25%, and cluster infections continue to occur in places with many known risk factors such as schools, academies, workplaces, and churches."

He added, "From July, when the new social distancing system revision is implemented, various gatherings and activities are expected to gradually increase," urging repeated compliance with quarantine rules.

Additionally, according to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, as of midnight on that day, 30,346 people received their first dose, bringing the cumulative number of first-dose recipients to 15,098,865. The number of people who completed vaccination increased by 123,415 to a total of 4,292,272. Among the Janssen vaccine recipients, which requires only one dose, 1,123,956 out of 1,165,590 eligible people have been vaccinated, recording a vaccination rate of 96.4%. The vaccination rate relative to the population is 29.4% for the first dose and 8.4% for completed vaccinations.

Deputy Head Kwon stated, "We are reaching the third milestone toward herd immunity," and "We plan to focus on second-dose vaccinations until mid-July and will not neglect preparations to carry out the large-scale vaccinations scheduled for the second half of the year without any setbacks."

Meanwhile, the number of suspected adverse reactions reported after COVID-19 vaccination increased by 8,833 over two days since the 22nd, reaching a cumulative total of 76,109 cases. Newly reported adverse reaction cases include 14 suspected anaphylaxis cases, 372 neurological adverse reactions, and 11 deaths.