Ewha Womans University’s main gate with a door to prohibit outsiders from entering ▶ Click here to enlarge
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As the’third pandemic’ of a new coronavirus infection in Korea (Corona 19) enters into a calm phase, the number of new confirmed cases has dropped to 300-400, but the number of cases of infection has increased again in the metropolitan area, raising concerns about reproliferation.
The proportion of confirmed local outbreaks excluding overseas inflows has again exceeded 80%.
In particular, among the confirmed patients in the metropolitan area, one in four to five is still confirmed through an anonymous examination at a temporary screening clinic, and the scale of asymptomatic’latent infection’ is not getting smaller.
It is for this reason that the government increased the business hours of multi-use facilities in non-metropolitan areas by 1 hour from 9 pm to 10 pm from the 8th.
The government is planning to reduce the scale of infection in the metropolitan area as much as possible by maintaining high-intensity quarantine until the Lunar New Year holidays (2.11-14). .
◇ Expected around 300 people, holiday impact… 355 people on average per day per week
According to the Central Defense Countermeasure Headquarters (Bang Daebon), a total of 372 new cases were confirmed in Korea as of 0 o’clock the previous day.
It decreased by 21 from the previous day (393), maintaining the level of 300 for three consecutive days.
The number of new confirmed cases to be announced as of 0 o’clock on this day is expected to decrease further.
A total of 275 new confirmed cases were compiled by the quarantine authorities and local governments such as Seoul from 0 o’clock to 9 PM the previous day.
It was 52 fewer than the 327 counted at the same time the day before.
Considering the recent trend in which the number of confirmed cases has increased to only double digits after 9 pm and the effect of holidays on the decrease in the number of tests, it is expected to be around 300, and at most, to only mid-300.
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Mask procession to work again today▶ Click here to enlarge
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Accordingly, the average value of confirmed patients for one week is expected to decrease slightly.
In the last week (2.1-7), the number of new confirmed cases per day recorded 305 → 336 → 467 → 451 → 370 → 393 → 372, an average of 385 cases per day.
Among them, the number of confirmed cases of regional outbreaks, which is a key indicator of the adjustment of the’social distancing’ stage, has fallen to an average of 355 per day, maintaining the range of stage 2 (over 300 people nationwide).
◇ Increasing pattern of confirmed patients in the metropolitan area… Government “Please refrain from traveling home and traveling during the New Year holidays”
As such, the number of confirmed cases nationwide is gradually decreasing, but regionally, there are wide variations. The non-metropolitan area is on a definite decline, but the metropolitan area is stagnant or on the rise.
The average number of confirmed local outbreaks in the non-metropolitan area last week was 91, down by half compared to 178 in the previous state, but in the same period, 24 people increased from 240 to 264.
Due to this difference, the proportion of the metropolitan area out of the 326 confirmed cases in the entire area increased to 81.3% on the previous day. After the 3rd pandemic, the proportion of the metropolitan area fell to the 60% level, but recently maintained 70% and reached the 80% level.
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Weekend Temporary Screening Clinic▶ Click here to enlarge
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The increase in the proportion of confirmed patients in the metropolitan area is a proof that there are many latent infections in the local community. This can also be confirmed by the size of the confirmed patients at the temporary screening laboratory where anonymous tests are performed.
The previous day, 67 people were confirmed through the temporary screening office in the metropolitan area, accounting for 25.3% of 265 confirmed cases in the entire metropolitan area. It means that one in four went to the temporary laboratory without any symptoms and was confirmed.
In this regard, Sohn Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division, Central Accident Control Headquarters (heavy water main), explained that “the metropolitan area itself has a large population and a large flow of population, so the effect of controlling infection is inferior to that of non-metropolitan areas.
He urged, “Because the metropolitan area is a dangerous situation in which the epidemic can spread again, please refrain from moving home and traveling during the Lunar New Year holiday.”
◇ Increasing number of confirmed overseas inflows… The possibility of increasing the number of mutant virus infections
In the meantime, as the number of confirmed overseas inflows increases, concerns about the spread of the mutant virus to regions are also growing.
Infectious disease experts believe that it is impossible to completely block the mutant virus, and one day it will spread to communities.
If a mutant virus, which has a much stronger transmission power, spreads in the metropolitan area, the damage will increase rapidly and the vaccination plan may be disrupted.
The number of confirmed overseas inflows the previous day was 46, the highest in about six and a half months since last year’s July 26 (46).
Twenty-seven out of 46 were confirmed during quarantine at the airport or port, but the remaining 19 were positive during self-quarantine, so it is necessary to confirm further transmission to the community.
Among the confirmed cases, there are mutant virus infections, and if the infected person passes the virus to family members during self-isolation, the possibility of spreading the virus to the community increases.
In fact, four Syrians who were diagnosed with a mutant virus earlier this month were infected by a relative who was self-isolating after entering the country as the first case of’n-th transmission’ in the community related to the’Gyeongnam-Jeonnam foreign relative group outbreak’.
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Airport quarantine’emergency’ due to mutant virus from UK▶ Click here to enlarge
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A total of 51 mutant virus infections have been identified in Korea so far, and 18 countries have entered the country. This includes the UK, South Africa (South Africa), Brazil, as well as China and Canada.
The government decided to reinforce quarantine measures for immigrants as the mutant virus has become a’dominant species’ overseas.
Currently, in Korea, only those who have confirmed negatives are allowed to self-isolate after moving all foreign immigrants to temporary living facilities and performing diagnostic tests. However, travelers entering the country from the UK, South Africa and Brazil are to be quarantined in separate temporary living facilities for 2 weeks.
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