As the impact of population movement during the Chuseok holiday intensified, a large-scale spread of COVID-19 surged on the 29th, with citizens lining up in long queues at the temporary screening clinic at Seoul Station for diagnostic testing. According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters, as of midnight on that day, the number of new COVID-19 confirmed cases was 2,885, marking the second-largest scale following 3,271 cases on the 25th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] On the 29th, as the spread of COVID-19 continued, confirmed cases surged across the country.
According to the quarantine authorities and local governments, from midnight to 9 p.m. on that day, a total of 2,244 new COVID-19 cases were reported nationwide.
This is 415 fewer than the 2,659 cases at the same time the previous day, but 641 more compared to the mid-day tally of 1,603 cases last Wednesday (September 22).
The 2,244 cases themselves set a new record for Wednesday cases (announced at midnight on Thursday). The previous Wednesday record was 2,152 cases, based on the final tally announced at midnight on August 21, the third Wednesday of last month. Since the 24th, the record for the highest number of cases by day of the week has been maintained for a week.
Looking at the regions where cases were reported that day, the metropolitan area accounted for 1,722 cases (76.7%), and non-metropolitan areas accounted for 522 cases (23.3%).
By city and province, Seoul reported 919 cases, Gyeonggi 655, Incheon 148, Daegu 73, Gyeongnam 63, Chungbuk 58, Chungnam 56, Gyeongbuk 52, Busan 47, Daejeon 33, Gwangju 32, Gangwon 27, Ulsan 26, Jeonbuk 24, Jeonnam 16, and Jeju 15.
Among the 17 cities and provinces nationwide, Sejong has yet to report any confirmed cases.
Since there is still time until midnight when the tally closes, the number of new confirmed cases announced at midnight on the 30th is expected to increase to at least the 2,400s, or possibly even higher.
Looking at the new confirmed cases reported over the past week from the 23rd to that day, the daily counts were 1,715 → 2,430 → 3,271 → 2,769 → 2,383 → 2,289 → 2,885, averaging about 2,535 cases per day.
Excluding imported cases, the average daily number of locally transmitted cases over the week was about 2,510.
Major clusters were reported in everyday settings such as schools, kindergartens, and workplaces. In an elementary school in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, a total of 13 people tested positive, and in a kindergarten in Jung-gu, Incheon, the cumulative confirmed cases reached 11.
At a nursing home in Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi, 16 users and staff members were confirmed positive, and at a metal product manufacturing company in Ansan-si, 11 workers were infected.
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