Today, 600 corona confirmed cases are expected… Concerns about the ‘4th epidemic’

Enter 2021.02.18 07:00

The spread of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) in Korea is unusual. The number of new confirmed patients staying in the 300 range soared to 600 after the Lunar New Year holiday. As the number of confirmed cases rapidly increases before the infection effect of the Lunar New Year holiday begins in earnest, there are voices of concern about the ‘4th epidemic’. The quarantine authorities are in the position that if the spreading trend persists, they may consider reinforcing social distancing.

According to the Central Defense Countermeasure Headquarters on the 18th, as of 0 o’clock the previous day, a total of 621 new cases of Corona 19 in Korea. It was only 38 days after January 10th (657) that the number of confirmed cases per day reached 600. The number of new confirmed cases to be announced as of 0 o’clock on this day is also expected to reach 600.

As the number of new confirmed cases increased, red signals were turned on again throughout the quarantine index. Over the past week, the number of new confirmed cases was 504 → 403 → 362 → 326 → 343 → 457 → 621, with an average of 431 per day. Among them, the number of confirmed cases of regional outbreaks reached an average of 405.9 per day. This corresponds to the range of 2.5 steps of distance (over 400 to 500 people nationwide, or a rapid increase in patients such as doubling).

Group infections are increasing nationwide. In relation to the cricket boiler manufacturing plant in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, the cumulative number of confirmed cases increased to 129 in just four days after the first confirmed cases came out on the 13th, and 115 people were confirmed the day before in a plastic manufacturing plant in Jingwan Industrial Complex in Namyang-si, Gyeonggi Province. The number of confirmed cases related to Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital (cumulative 140) and Seongdong-gu Hanyang University Hospital (109) are also increasing.

The quarantine authorities did not make a clear judgment on the recent increase in confirmed cases. It is possible that the number of confirmed cases increased as the number of tests decreased to about 20,000 during the holiday season increased to the level of weekdays (40,000 to 50,000), but it may be that the’latent infection’ hidden in the local community was revealed. It is an embarrassing part for the quarantine authorities that the effects of the Lunar New Year holidays and the easing of distancing phases have not yet been fully reflected.

The quarantine authorities plan to reinforce quarantine measures if the number of confirmed cases continues to increase. Sohn Young-rae, head of the Social Strategy Division, Central Accident Control Headquarters, said at a briefing the day before, “If the epidemic continues to spread, there is room for consideration in the direction of reinforcing the measures currently being taken.”

The timing of applying the new distance system, which the government originally aimed to implement in March, may also be delayed.
“We will prepare for the reorganization of the distancing system on schedule while watching what the current trend is going on, but we will comprehensively review the timing of the implementation,” he said.