S. Korea reports 24 COVID-19 deaths, the highest number so far for a single day

Posted on : 2020-12-22 17:42 KST Modified on : 2020-12-22 17:42 KST
Government says it will announce decision on Level 3 measures 2-3 days in advance
The Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, on Dec. 21. An inmate recently released from the correctional facility has tested positive for COVID-19. (Yonhap News)
The Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, on Dec. 21. An inmate recently released from the correctional facility has tested positive for COVID-19. (Yonhap News)

As South Korea’s third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the country topped 50,000 on Dec. 21, with 24 deaths reported in a single day. The country’s disease control authorities predicted that the daily caseload next week would remain around 1,000-1,200 and promised to issue special disease control measures aimed at beefing up social distancing during Christmas and the New Year.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 926 new cases for Dec. 21. Even though the daily caseload dipped below 1,000 for the first time in six days, that doesn’t mean the outbreak is being curbed, since fewer tests are carried out on weekends than on weekdays. So far, Korea has identified a total of 50,591 cases of COVID-19.

There were 24 deaths from COVID-19 on Dec. 21, the highest number since the country’s pandemic began in January. Over the past week (Dec. 13-19), there have been 81 deaths and an average of 223 patients in serious or critical condition.

On Dec. 20, a nursing home in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, reported the deaths of three COVID-19 patients who had been waiting to be assigned hospital beds. In Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, a nursing assistant in her 30s died two days after testing positive for the coronavirus on Dec. 18, following negative results in two previous tests.

“The reproduction number [last week] was about 1.28, and we expect to see 1,000-1,200 [new daily cases] next week. In the event of large infection clusters such as the one at the [Seoul] Eastern District Detention Center, the caseload could be even higher,” said KDCA Director Jung Eun-kyeong in the daily briefing on Dec. 21.

“Our assessment is that [social distancing measures] are preventing a rapid rise in transmissions, but they’re not adequate to make this wave crest and subside,” Jung added.

The government’s plan is to give at least two to three days’ notice before elevating social distancing measures to Level 3 given the chaos that would create for small business owners.

“We’re currently discussing whether to raise social distancing to Level 3 as we monitor the situation. We plan to announce the measure at least a couple of days before it takes effect, rather than one day before, so that as many people as possible will take part,” explained Son Young-rae, director of strategy and planning at the Central Disaster Management Headquarters (CDMH), on Dec. 21.

“Separately from Level 3 social distancing, local governments and the central government discussed ways to tighten disease control measures before Christmas and the New Year, and those measures will be announced tomorrow,” Son added.

The special end-of-the-year measures are likely to focus on ski resorts and other winter sports facilities that have recently seen a string of infection clusters. They’ll also focus on popular spots for viewing the first sunrise of the New Year, as well as on nursing homes and other facilities that have been a vector for community transmission.

On a related topic, disease control authorities announced that a COVID-19 variant that’s rapidly spreading through the UK has yet to be discovered in Korea.

“We’ve analyzed the DNA of 1,600 samples of COVID-19 in the country, but so far we haven’t found the variant that’s been reported in the UK,” Jung said.

“We’re currently analyzing the risk of admitting people from the UK and considering the potential measures. We plan to monitor the potential for viral mutation more stringently by ensuring that people are tested twice before being released from quarantine.”

By Seon Dam-eun, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

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