Increase in confirmed cases due to Omicron variant spread
626 critically ill patients...continuing decline
COVID-19 severe bed occupancy rate at 33.8%
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] As the spread of the Omicron variant accelerates, the daily number of new confirmed cases was recorded in the mid-4,000s.
The number of new confirmed cases, which had remained in the 3,000s for a while, has gradually increased and stayed in the 4,000s for four consecutive days, but the number of critically ill patients has steadily decreased, showing the 600s for two consecutive days.
The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced on the 15th at midnight that there were 4,423 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 687,984.
The number of new confirmed cases decreased by 119 from the previous day's 4,542 but was 915 more than the 3,508 cases reported a week earlier on the 8th.
Although the spread temporarily slowed due to strengthened quarantine measures and increased third-dose vaccinations, the recent rapid spread of the Omicron variant has caused the number of new confirmed cases to gradually increase again.
The health authorities expect that the domestic share of the Omicron variant will exceed 50% within a week, and that more than 20,000 cases could occur by the end of February and over 30,000 cases by the end of March.
The number of critically ill patients continues to decline. On this day, the number of critically ill patients was 626, marking the 600s for the second consecutive day following the previous day's 659.
The number of critically ill patients, which had been in the 1,000s for 14 consecutive days until the 3rd, dropped to the 700s on the 10th (786 patients) and further decreased to the 600s the day before.
Accordingly, the utilization rate of severe care beds remains stable in the 30% range. As of 5 p.m. the previous day, the nationwide utilization rate of COVID-19 severe care beds was 33.8% (602 out of 1,780 beds in use), down 3.3 percentage points from the previous day’s 37.1%.
The utilization rate of severe care beds in the Seoul metropolitan area, where cases are concentrated, was also recorded at 34.8% (423 out of 1,216 beds in use).
The number of deaths increased by 22, bringing the total to 6,281. The cumulative fatality rate stands at 0.91%.
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