The number of confirmed cases exceeded 500,000 at 9 pm on the 16th as the outbreak of the Omicron mutant virus was heading to its peak.
This is the first time that the number of new confirmed cases has exceeded 500,000 since the COVID-19 outbreak in Korea.
According to each local government, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, from 00:00 to 9pm on the same day, 549,854 people were confirmed with COVID-19 in 17 cities and provinces across the country.
108,431 more than the previous record of 444,423 in the same time period.
This is 1.8 times the number of the 9th (305,191 people) a week ago, and three times the number of the 2nd (186,169 people) two weeks ago.
As of 9 p.m. on the same day, 34516 (61.9%) of new confirmed cases were reported in the metropolitan area and 209,338 (38.1%) in non-metropolitan areas.
By region, Gyeonggi 181,029, Seoul 128,385, Gyeongnam 34,118, Incheon 31,102, Chungnam 21,000, Busan 22,265, Gyeongbuk 18,411, Daegu 16,804, Gangwon 15,530, Jeonbuk 15,048, Chungbuk 14361, Daejeon 13,228, Gwangju 12,510, Jeonnam 12,393, Ulsan 11,520, Jeju 4650, Sejong 4500 .
In the case of Gangwon, the median count exceeded 10,000 for two consecutive days following the previous day.
Gangwon-do health authorities announced that there were 10,530 new cases from 00:00 to 8pm on the same day. The cumulative number of confirmed cases is 188,245.
By city and county, Chuncheon 2363, Wonju 2528, Gangneung 1515, Donghae 491, Taebaek 241, Sokcho 557, Samcheok 292, Hongcheon 469, Hoengseong 287, Yeongwol 238, Pyeongchang 239, Jeongseon 133, 424 in Cheorwon, 132 in Hwacheon, 210 in Yanggu, 111 in Inje, 156 in Goseong, and 144 in Yangyang.
In this regard, since the 14th, in addition to those who have been confirmed by PCR (gene amplification) testing, the quarantine authorities immediately classified those with a “positive” rapid antigen test for experts at hospitals and clinics as confirmed cases, and the number of confirmed cases has increased significantly. It is analyzed that there has been an increase.
There is also a possibility that the number of cases reported missing the previous day was included in the count.
In the case of the number of confirmed cases announced as of 00:00 that day, the number of confirmed cases reported by a medical institution who entered or did not enter an incorrect address in the counting system was regarded as an ‘error’ and excluded from the count.
In fact, as of 9 pm the previous day, the number of confirmed cases was 444,423 in the interim count of local governments. The interpretation is that the number excluded from the previous day’s count may have been included in today’s count, the next day.
Combining the predictions of many domestic research teams, the quarantine authorities predicted that the peak period of the epidemic would be the 16th to 22nd, and that there could be an average of 316,000 to 372,000 new confirmed cases per day, but the actual size of the epidemic is expected to exceed this.