'With Corona' After One Month... 5,123 New Confirmed Cases

On the 1st, the Seoul Songpa-gu Public Health Center screening clinic was crowded with citizens seeking tests as the number of new COVID-19 cases reached a record high of 5,123. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] On the 1st, one month after the implementation of "gradual daily recovery (With Corona)," the number of new COVID-19 confirmed cases reached 5,123 for the first time ever, surpassing 5,000 cases. The number of critically ill patients hospitalized also set a new daily record at 723.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on this day, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country increased by 5,123 from the previous day to 452,350. There were 5,075 domestic cases and 48 imported cases. The weekly average of new local confirmed cases is 3,870.1, showing a continuous upward trend.

By region, the Seoul metropolitan area accounted for 4,110 cases, or 81.0%, with Seoul at 2,212, Incheon at 322, and Gyeonggi at 1,576. Non-metropolitan cases totaled 965, including ▲Busan 142 ▲Daegu 86 ▲Gwangju 29 ▲Daejeon 86 ▲Ulsan 15 ▲Sejong 19 ▲Gangwon 105 ▲Chungbuk 48 ▲Chungnam 95 ▲Jeonbuk 50 ▲Jeonnam 40 ▲Gyeongbuk 97 ▲Gyeongnam 126 ▲Jeju 27. Among the 48 imported cases, 20 were detected during quarantine, and 28 were confirmed in the community.

The number of critically ill patients hospitalized rose by 62 from the previous day to 723, setting another record high. The death toll increased by 34, bringing the total cumulative deaths to 3,658. The fatality rate consequently rose to approximately 0.81%.

The intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy rate remains at a critical level. As of 5 p.m. the previous day, 909 out of 1,154 ICU beds nationwide (78.8%) were in use. In particular, the Seoul metropolitan area had an occupancy rate of 89.2% (637 out of 714 beds), with Seoul at 90.7%, Incheon at 88.6%, and Gyeonggi at 87.6%. Considering the preparation work required for patient admission and discharge, the beds are effectively "exhausted." Although critically ill patients from the metropolitan area are being transferred to nearby regions such as Chungcheong and Gangwon, Daejeon and Sejong have all their beds full with 25 and 3 beds respectively, and Chungbuk and Chungnam also have occupancy rates of 93.8% and 92.1%, indicating full capacity in these areas as well.

According to the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team, 21,448 people received their first dose yesterday, bringing the total number of first-dose recipients to 42,567,865. The vaccination rate for the first dose relative to the population is 82.9%. Among those aged 18 and over, 93.5% have completed their first dose. The number of people who completed vaccination yesterday was 48,509, bringing the total to 41,061,655. The vaccination completion rate relative to the population is 79.9%, and 91.5% for those aged 18 and over. Additionally, 184,517 people received booster shots yesterday, with a total of 3,219,138 having completed booster vaccinations.