"Confirmed Cases Surge Rapidly" ... New Daily Cases Expected to Exceed 70,000 Today

70,497 Reported by 9 PM the Previous Day

On the 18th, as the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases exceeded 40,000 for two consecutive days over the past weekend, citizens visiting the screening clinic set up at Mapo-gu Public Health Center in Seoul are waiting to get tested. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] As the speed of the COVID-19 resurgence accelerates and the number of confirmed cases doubles every week in a phenomenon called "doubling," the number of new confirmed cases is expected to exceed 70,000 in a single day on the 18th.

According to Seoul Metropolitan Government and other local governments, from midnight to 9 p.m. the previous day, 70,497 people across 17 cities and provinces nationwide were confirmed positive for COVID-19, already surpassing 70,000.

The sharp increase in confirmed cases is due to the recovery of testing numbers on Monday after a significant drop over the weekend. Compared to the tally at the same time on the 11th, one week ago, which was 35,805, the number increased by 1.97 times, and compared to the tally at the same time on the 4th, two weeks ago, which was 17,146, it increased by 4.11 times.

Assuming the weekly doubling phenomenon continues precisely, the number of cases on the 26th could reach 140,000, double that of the 19th (around 70,000), and by the 2nd of next month, two weeks later, it could approach 280,000, double that of the 26th (140,000).

Initially, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency expected the early resurgence this summer to peak between mid-September and mid-October, with daily new confirmed cases exceeding 200,000. However, at the current rate of increase, the peak is expected to arrive much sooner.

The National Institute for Mathematical Sciences predicted that if the infection reproduction number increases by 30%, daily confirmed cases could rise to 81,267 on the 27th and 288,546 by the 10th of next month, and the actual numbers may exceed these estimates.

In preparation for the resurgence, the quarantine authorities expanded the eligibility for the 4th vaccine dose starting the previous day to include people in their 50s, individuals aged 18 and over with underlying conditions, and residents of facilities for the disabled and homeless. However, as of 4 p.m. on the first day of pre-registration, only 131,482 new reservations were made by people in their 50s, accounting for just 1.52% of the total population in their 50s.