COVID-19 New Cases Over 3,000 for 7 Consecutive Days... 661 Severe Cases

On the 29th, merchants are waiting for testing at the 'Seoul City Mobile Screening Clinic' installed in the parking lot of Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] On the 30th, the number of new COVID-19 cases reached 3,032, marking seven consecutive days with over 3,000 confirmed cases. The number of critically ill patients hospitalized also reached a new high at 661.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight, the total cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the country increased by 3,032 from the previous day to 447,230. Of these, 3,003 were domestic cases and 29 were imported. The weekly average of new local cases is 3,729.3, showing a continuous upward trend.

By region, the Seoul metropolitan area accounted for 2,274 cases, or 75.7%, with Seoul reporting 1,176 cases, Incheon 191, and Gyeonggi 907.

The number of cases outside the metropolitan area totaled 729, including ▲Busan 77 ▲Daegu 77 ▲Gwangju 51 ▲Daejeon 41 ▲Ulsan 3 ▲Sejong 22 ▲Gangwon 84 ▲Chungbuk 59 ▲Chungnam 81 ▲Jeonbuk 50 ▲Jeonnam 35 ▲Gyeongbuk 68 ▲Gyeongnam 60 ▲Jeju 21.

Among the 29 imported cases, 8 were detected during quarantine, and 21 were confirmed in the local community.

Medical staff are caring for a patient in the intensive care unit of Pakae Hospital, a COVID-19 dedicated hospital in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The number of critically ill patients hospitalized increased by 32 from the previous day to 661, setting another record high. The ICU bed occupancy rate remains at a critical level. As of 5 p.m. the previous day, 906 out of 1,154 dedicated ICU beds nationwide, or 78.5%, were in use. In particular, the Seoul metropolitan area is using 88.5% (632 beds) of its total 714 beds, with Seoul at 91.0%, Incheon at 83.5%, and Gyeonggi at 86.9%. Considering the preparation time needed for bed turnover during patient admission and discharge, the situation is effectively considered a 'full capacity' state. Although critically ill patients from the metropolitan area are being transferred to nearby regions such as Chungcheong and Gangwon, Daejeon’s 25 beds are fully occupied, and Chungbuk and Chungnam have occupancy rates of 96.9% and 94.7%, respectively, indicating these areas are also at full capacity.

The death toll increased by 44 the previous day, bringing the total cumulative deaths to 3,624. The fatality rate has risen to approximately 0.81%.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, 31,118 people received their first dose yesterday, bringing the total number of first-dose recipients to 42,544,682. The vaccination rate for the first dose is 82.9% of the population, with 93.5% of those aged 18 and older having completed the first dose. The number of people who completed vaccination yesterday was 106,238, bringing the total to 41,011,415. The vaccination completion rate is 79.9% of the population and 91.4% for those aged 18 and older. Additionally, 177,325 people received booster shots yesterday, with a total of 3,029,224 having completed booster vaccinations.