808 Cases Confirmed on the 14th... Largest Number Since COVID-19 Outbreak
Many Infections Scattered, 'Under Investigation' Cases Reach Half
Infectious Disease Hospital Bed Occupancy Rate at 81.3%
Cumulative Confirmed Cases Related to Gangdong-gu High School Reach 14
On the 15th, as the spread of COVID-19 intensifies mainly in the metropolitan area, the temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza is crowded with citizens. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Seoul reached a record high of 808 on the 14th. The proportion of cases resulting from personal contact is increasing, and nearly half of the cases have unknown infection routes. With the sharp rise in cases ahead of the Chuseok holiday, emergency measures for quarantine have been triggered.
According to Seoul City on the 15th, as of the 14th, there were 808 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 804 were domestic infections and 4 were imported cases. By age group, confirmed cases were ▲179 in their 30s ▲168 in their 20s ▲139 in their 40s.
This is the highest daily record since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Seoul. It is 131 cases more than the previous record of 677 on August 24. This is the first time Seoul's daily confirmed cases have exceeded 800. From the 7th to the 11th of this month, daily cases were in the 600s, then jumped past the 700s to the 800s after three weeks.
Due to the weekend effect, the number of tests decreased, causing the number of confirmed cases to plateau on the 12th and 13th. However, on Monday, the number of tests doubled from 40,179 on the 12th to 78,005, leading to a sharp increase in confirmed cases. The positivity rate (the ratio of confirmed cases to tests conducted the previous day) averaged 1.1%, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous week's average of 0.8% (from the 1st to the 7th).
On the 15th, as the spread of COVID-19 intensifies mainly in the metropolitan area, medical staff are disinfecting the glass walls at a temporary screening clinic set up in Seoul Station Plaza. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
Despite the maintenance of social distancing at level 4, the number of infections is rapidly increasing. The highly transmissible Delta variant has become dominant, and with many infected individuals scattered throughout the community, the proportion of cases with unknown infection routes is rising. Among the approximately 88,000 cumulative confirmed cases in Seoul, an estimated 5,756 were infected with the Delta variant virus.
Park Yumi, Director of the Seoul City Citizen Health Bureau, explained, "The characteristic of the 4th wave is that, unlike the 1st to 3rd waves, the highest proportion of confirmed cases results from personal contact. There is a large amount of residual infection in the community, and the proportion of cases under investigation for infection routes has recently risen to 50%, with the reproduction number reaching 1.11."
Director Park added, "Before and after the Chuseok holiday, and even after it ends, mobility is expected to continue increasing. There are many risk factors for the spread of COVID-19 in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul itself. We request minimal movement and gatherings. Please get vaccinated in advance if possible, and after visiting your hometown, be sure to get tested. Even if fully vaccinated, please adhere to basic quarantine rules such as wearing masks and washing hands."
On the 15th, as the spread of COVID-19 intensifies mainly in the metropolitan area, the temporary screening clinic set up at Seoul Station Plaza is crowded with citizens. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
Among cluster infection cases, the cumulative number of confirmed cases related to a high school in Gangdong-gu has risen to 14. After one student was first confirmed positive on the 10th, 8 more cases were confirmed by the 13th, and 5 additional cases on the 14th. Seoul City reported that although quarantine guidelines such as temperature checks and mask-wearing were followed, transmission likely occurred during long classes and use of shared spaces like restrooms.
At a restaurant in Yongsan-gu, 7 employees and visitors were initially confirmed positive on the 13th, with 4 more confirmed on the 14th. The total number of related confirmed cases has increased to 11.
As of the previous day, the bed occupancy rate at Seoul's infectious disease dedicated hospitals is 81.3%. Of 326 beds dedicated to severe patients, 143 remain available. The occupancy rate at residential treatment centers is 61.7%, with 815 beds immediately available for admission.
Director Park stated, "Seoul City will make every effort to secure the most important hospital beds in response to the increase in confirmed cases." However, she added, "If confirmed cases persist above 800, we cannot be complacent. We will optimize bed usage, expand residential treatment centers, and, if necessary, establish criteria and support for self-treatment to ensure thorough care."
Seoul's COVID-19 vaccination rates are 67.4% for the first dose and 39.9% for the second dose. On the 14th, 156,238 new vaccinations were administered. Vaccine supplies remaining include 254,830 doses of AstraZeneca, 813,240 doses of Pfizer, 15,535 doses of Janssen, and 274,490 doses of Moderna, totaling 1,358,095 doses. On the 14th, 849 new suspected adverse reaction reports were filed, accounting for 0.4% of those vaccinated. The cumulative total is 37,600 reports.
The cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Seoul is 88,364. Currently, 10,645 patients are in isolation treatment, and 77,107 have been declared recovered and released from isolation. Four additional deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 612. The new deaths included one person in their 30s, two in their 60s, and one in their 70s; among them, three were confirmed positive post-mortem.
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