1403 New COVID-19 Cases Nationwide by 6 PM... 84 More Than Previous Day

On the 29th, as the COVID-19 outbreak shows no signs of subsiding, medical staff at the temporary screening clinic in Tapgol Park, Jongno-gu, Seoul, are reaching out to a portable air conditioner to cool off from the heat. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] From midnight to 6 p.m. on the 29th, the number of new COVID-19 cases nationwide was tentatively counted at 1,403 over 18 hours. This is 84 more than the 1,319 cases counted at the same time the previous day.

As of now, the regions with confirmed cases are 982 in the metropolitan area (70.0%) and 421 in non-metropolitan areas (30.0%). By city and province, there are 458 in Gyeonggi, 417 in Seoul, 107 in Incheon, 72 in Busan, 70 in Gyeongnam, 63 in Daejeon, 53 in Daegu, 33 in Gyeongbuk, 29 in Chungbuk, 28 in Chungnam, 18 in Gwangju, 15 in Gangwon, 13 each in Ulsan and Jeju, 10 in Jeonbuk, and 4 in Jeonnam. So far, confirmed cases have been reported in 16 cities and provinces excluding Sejong.

As of 6 p.m., the number of confirmed cases first rose to the 1,000 range on the 6th of this month (1,006 cases). For ten consecutive days since the 20th, the number has exceeded 1,000 (1,442 → 1,287 → 1,342 → 1,314 → 1,234 → 1,082 → 1,056 → 1,464 → 1,319 → 1,403). Since there is still time until midnight when the count closes, the number of new confirmed cases announced at midnight on the 30th is expected to reach the 1,700 to 1,800 range. The previous day saw an increase of 355 cases after 6 p.m., closing at a final count of 1,674.

Regarding major cases, 11 additional cases were found during contact tracing related to an indoor sports facility in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, bringing the total to 37. At another indoor sports facility in Gwanak-gu, a total of 16 people have tested positive since the 16th. Related to a shamanistic faith in northern Gyeonggi, 22 people have been confirmed and are undergoing treatment from the 23rd to the previous day. Additional confirmed cases were also reported at a Taekwondo gym in Seo-gu, Daejeon (total 229 cases), a company in Yeosu-si, Jeonnam (95 cases), and a bathhouse in Dongnae-gu, Busan (third case, 94 cases).