292 Confirmed Cases in Seoul by 9 PM... Lowest Number in 30 Days

On the 2nd, with 1,219 new COVID-19 cases reported and the total number of confirmed cases surpassing 200,000, citizens waiting to be tested are seen at a temporary screening clinic set up at Sinchon Station on the Gyeongui Line in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Seoul city announced that the number of new COVID-19 cases in Seoul was tentatively counted at 292 from 0:00 to 21:00 on the 2nd, a period of 21 hours.

Compared to the same time frame, this is the lowest record in 30 days following July 3rd (277 cases), and 38 cases fewer than last Monday (July 26th) with 330 cases, and 69 cases fewer than the previous day (August 1st) with 361 cases. The total number of cases for the entire day was 289 on July 3rd, 351 on July 26th, and 365 on August 1st.

The significant decrease in cases on the 2nd compared to the previous day or a week ago is attributed to a sharp drop in the number of COVID-19 tests conducted the day before. The number of tests on the 1st was tentatively counted at 25,286, the lowest in four weeks since July 4th (23,660), and only about 41% of the average daily tests of 60,979 over the past two weeks.

The positivity rate on the 2nd (number of cases on the day compared to the number of tests the previous day) is expected to be around 1.2%. Over the past two weeks, the daily positivity rate fluctuated between 0.6% and 1.2%, with an average of 0.8%.

As of 9 PM on the 2nd, among the new confirmed cases in Seoul, 3 were imported cases, and the remaining 289 were domestic infections.

As of this time, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Seoul was tentatively counted at 65,485. The total number of cases for the day will be finalized and announced in the morning based on the count at midnight on the 3rd.