On the 24th, after the Chuseok holiday ended and COVID-19 cases surged, the temporary screening clinic in front of Seoul City Hall was crowded with citizens. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that 2,434 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed as of midnight that day. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Following the Chuseok holiday, the number of new COVID-19 cases is expected to surge, marking the first time daily new cases exceed 3,000. Seoul has surpassed 1,000 cases for the first time since the first domestic COVID-19 case was reported.
According to health authorities, Seoul city, and other local governments, from midnight to 9 p.m. on the 24th, a total of 2,924 new COVID-19 positive cases were reported nationwide. This is 791 more than the 2,133 cases recorded at the same time the previous day.
Although this is an interim figure, it already sets a new record for the highest number of daily COVID-19 cases in the country. The previous record was 2,434 cases announced at midnight on the same day.
By region, the metropolitan area accounted for 2,224 cases (76.1%), while non-metropolitan areas accounted for 700 cases (23.9%).
In particular, Seoul reported a provisional total of 1,223 new cases by 9 p.m., marking an all-time high. This is 330 more than the previous record of 893 cases at the same time on the 23rd, and 531 more than 692 cases reported a week earlier on the 17th. The total daily cases were 907 on the 23rd, which was the highest daily record, and 703 on the 17th.
This surge is attributed to the record-high number of COVID-19 tests conducted in Seoul on the 23rd, totaling 110,589 tests. The cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Seoul is provisionally tallied at 95,951. The final total for the day will be compiled and announced on the morning of the 25th, based on data as of midnight.
Other regions reported the following new cases: Gyeonggi 806, Incheon 195, Daegu 116, Chungnam 84, Daejeon 80, Chungbuk 60, Gyeongbuk 58, Gangwon 55, Jeonbuk 53, Busan 46, Gyeongnam 42, Gwangju 40, Jeonnam 27, Ulsan 24, and Jeju 15. Cases were reported in 16 cities and provinces nationwide, excluding Sejong.
Major cluster infections include 64 cumulative cases linked to a medical institution in Yangsan. In Geoje, a confirmed case was detected during a pre-release test after contact with confirmed cases related to local businesses and religious facilities. The cumulative cases related to these Geoje businesses and religious facilities stand at 50.
In Seoul’s Songpa District, 39 cases were linked to Garak Market, and two additional cases related to a middle school in Cheongju were reported, bringing the total to 23.
Since there is still time until midnight when the tally closes, the number of new cases announced at midnight on the 25th is expected to increase further, reaching at least the 3,000 range, possibly as high as 3,200 to 3,300 cases.
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