COVID-19 New Cases 1,725... 628 Cases in Non-Capital Areas, Highest Since 4th Wave

On the 3rd, citizens waiting to be tested at a screening clinic set up at Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea reached 1,725, marking 29 consecutive days of four-digit case counts. Notably, cases outside the metropolitan area increased to 628, the highest since the 4th wave of the pandemic.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's Central Disease Control Headquarters reported that as of midnight on the 28th, the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases rose by 1,725 from the previous day to 203,926. The sources of new infections were 1,664 local transmissions and 61 imported cases. The so-called "weekend effect," where the number of confirmed cases drops significantly on Mondays and Tuesdays due to reduced testing over the weekend, disappeared, leading to a sharp increase again.

However, this figure is 170 cases fewer than the 1,895 cases recorded on the same weekday last week, which was a record high. The weekly average of locally transmitted cases, a key indicator for adjusting social distancing levels, had surged to 1,521.1 on the 30th of last month but fell to 1,444.1 as of this date.

By region, 1,036 cases, accounting for 62.3% of local transmissions, were reported in the metropolitan area. This marks a return to the 1,000s after five days. The breakdown by region is Seoul 479 cases (26.7%), Gyeonggi 474 cases (29.9%), and Incheon 83 cases (4.0%).

Cases outside the metropolitan area reached 628, the highest since the 4th wave. ▲Busan 108 ▲Daegu 75 ▲Gwangju 15 ▲Daejeon 59 ▲Ulsan 14 ▲Sejong 8 ▲Gangwon 22 ▲Chungbuk 45 ▲Chungnam 52 ▲Jeonbuk 33 ▲Jeonnam 15 ▲Gyeongbuk 46 ▲Gyeongnam 113 ▲Jeju 23 cases were confirmed.

There were 61 imported cases, with 30 detected during quarantine and 31 confirmed locally. Among them, 18 were Korean nationals and 43 were foreigners.

The total number of tests conducted the previous day was 136,798. At temporary screening clinics set up in the metropolitan area, 77,715 tests were conducted, confirming 339 new cases, while 14,854 tests were conducted at temporary screening clinics outside the metropolitan area, confirming 91 cases.

The death toll rose by 2 to 2,106, while the number of critically ill patients decreased by 2 to 329.

On the 3rd, citizens are waiting in the adverse reaction monitoring area after receiving vaccines at the vaccination center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

Meanwhile, as of midnight on the same day, 218,941 people received new COVID-19 vaccinations. The cumulative number of first-dose vaccinations reached 20,169,592, representing a vaccination rate of 39.3% of the population. The breakdown includes 2,170 AstraZeneca (AZ) doses, 209,104 Pfizer doses, and 7,667 Moderna doses.

The number of people who completed vaccination increased by 106,529 from the previous day to 7,289,659. The second-dose vaccination rate relative to the population is 14.2%. Among those who received the first AZ dose, 2,216 received the second dose with AZ, and 1,303 received a second dose with Pfizer as a mixed vaccination. An additional 99,329 people completed vaccination with Pfizer only, bringing the total to 4,078,597. Moderna second doses were administered to 3,681 people.

Reports of suspected adverse reactions following vaccination increased by 3,803 over two days, totaling 121,565 cases. Reports included 190 for AZ, 2,650 for Pfizer, 17 for Janssen, and 946 for Moderna. The cumulative adverse reaction reporting rates are 0.67% for AZ, 0.26% for Pfizer, 0.67% for Janssen, and 0.34% for Moderna.

Among the new reports, common post-vaccination symptoms such as muscle pain, headache, fever, chills, and nausea accounted for 3,681 cases, making up the majority.

Serious adverse reactions included 16 suspected anaphylaxis cases and 101 additional reports of major neurological and other serious reactions. There were five reported deaths following vaccination: two after AZ and three after Pfizer.

Regarding the mixed vaccination regimen of first-dose AZ and second-dose Pfizer, ongoing since last month, 103 additional adverse reactions were reported over two days, bringing the total to 2,736. The adverse reaction reporting rate is 0.30%. Among these, 97 were general adverse reactions and 6 were major neurological or other serious reactions. No deaths were reported. Adverse reactions from mixed vaccinations are included in the Pfizer vaccine adverse reaction statistics.