Jeju Records Highest Ever 122 COVID-19 Cases... Rapid Spread Feared After Holiday

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Park Chang-won] As the daily number of COVID-19 cases nationwide exceeded 20,000, Jeju recorded a historic high of 122 confirmed cases on the first day of February.

Since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Jeju on February 20, 2020, this is the first time daily cases have surpassed triple digits. This number far exceeds the previous record of 86 cases set on January 31.

Among the new confirmed cases, 64 were identified as contacts of confirmed cases within the province. Thirty-one cases were infections caused by external factors such as contact with confirmed cases from other regions. The remaining 25 cases have unknown infection routes.

Among the confirmed cases, 18 were identified as the Omicron variant, bringing the cumulative total to 148. The possibility of Omicron becoming the dominant strain in Jeju is increasing soon.

Looking at the trend over the past week, the number of confirmed cases sharply increased from 32 on the 24th to 53 on the 25th, and then to 72 on the 26th, breaking the previous highest record after 166 days. On the 27th, the number slightly decreased to 44, but surged again to 76 on the 28th, breaking the daily highest record within two days. The spread continued with daily cases fluctuating between 60 and 70 for two consecutive days, and on the 31st, 86 cases were confirmed.

The cumulative number of confirmed cases over the past week reached 543, an increase of 372 compared to the previous week. The average daily number of confirmed cases for the week also rose to 77.57.

Considering that the average daily number of tourists visiting Jeju during the Lunar New Year holiday reached 40,000 and that there was family movement within the Jeju area, it is expected that more confirmed cases will occur after the holiday.

Meanwhile, among the 679 hospital beds currently secured, 290 are inpatient beds with an occupancy rate of 42.7%. Of these, the 5th Residential Treatment Center has 211 beds occupied out of 300, leaving 89 beds available.

The total number of people in self-quarantine is 790, including 565 contacts of confirmed cases and 225 overseas arrivals.

Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Park Chang-won reporter captain@asiae.co.kr