COVID-19 New Cases 13,012... Surpassing 10,000 Amid Omicron Surge

Over 4,400 Cases Surge in One Day
8,154 Cases Reported in Seoul Metropolitan Area
Severe Cases Decrease to 385
32 Deaths...Cumulative Fatality Rate 0.87%

On the 26th, when 13,012 new COVID-19 cases were reported, an increase of 4,400 cases in just one day, citizens lined up to get tested at a temporary screening clinic set up near the Express Bus Terminal Station in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] As the COVID-19 Omicron variant rapidly spreads, the number of new confirmed cases surged to over 13,000 on the 26th.

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight on this day, there were 13,012 new COVID-19 confirmed cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 762,983. The number of new cases increased by 4,441 from the previous day's 8,571, surpassing 10,000 for the first time.

Since the Omicron variant, which is more than twice as transmissible as the existing Delta variant, became the dominant strain in the country, the number of new confirmed cases has been rapidly increasing. The new cases on this day were double the 5,804 cases reported a week earlier on the 19th, and triple the 4,383 cases reported two weeks earlier on the 12th.

However, this has not yet led to an increase in deaths or critically ill patients. The number of critically ill patients was 385, down by 7 from 392 the previous day. As of 5 p.m. the previous day, the nationwide COVID-19 severe bed occupancy rate was 17.8%. The number of deaths increased by 32, bringing the total to 6,620. The cumulative fatality rate stands at 0.87%.

Regarding the infection routes of new confirmed cases, 12,743 were locally transmitted. Among local cases, Gyeonggi had 4,184 cases, Seoul 3,110, and Incheon 860, totaling 8,154 cases (64.0%) in the metropolitan area. Non-metropolitan cases exceeded 4,000 for the first time, with Daegu at 664, Busan 548, Gyeongnam 531, Gyeongbuk 438, Chungnam 403, Gwangju 392, Daejeon 366, Jeonbuk 293, Jeonnam 284, Chungbuk 243, Gangwon 158, Ulsan 142, Sejong 76, and Jeju 51, totaling 4,589 cases (36.0%). There were 269 imported cases.

The domestic COVID-19 vaccination completion rate was 85.5% as of midnight on this day, with a cumulative total of 43,849,560 people vaccinated. The third dose vaccination rate reached 50.3% of the total population (cumulative 25,546,791 people).

Meanwhile, the number of suspected cases tested at screening clinics the previous day was 84,297, and the number of tests conducted at temporary screening clinics was 177,142, totaling 261,439 tests. The test positivity rate as of midnight on this day was 4.7%, down 0.4 percentage points from 5.1% the previous day.