By 9 pm, 37,134 new confirmed cases… 917 people compared to the previous day↓

Over 30,000 people in the same time zone for 4 days in a row… steep increase
2438 confirmed cases in the metropolitan area and 16,696 cases in non-metropolitan areas

On the morning of the 14th, the screening clinic at the Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul is crowded with citizens trying to get tested. /Photo = Yonhap News

As the number of new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) confirmed cases is on the rise, there were 37,000 confirmed cases by 9 pm on the 14th.

According to local governments including Seoul, the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 17 cities and provinces across the country from 0 am to 9 pm on the same day was 37,134. This is a decrease of 917 people from the 38,051 people counted for the same time period the previous day.

However, as of the same time period, the number exceeded 30,000 for four consecutive days, 1.99 times compared to 18,625 people counted on the 7th a week ago, and 4.13 times compared to 8984 people on the 30th of last month two weeks ago.

As of midnight on the 15th, the number of new confirmed cases is expected to be around 40,000 as there is still time until midnight, when the counting ends.

The number of new confirmed cases counted for the last week was 19,308 → 27,273 → 20,403 → 12,682 → 37,351 → 42,266 → 39,196 by day. The average number of confirmed cases is 27,068.

Citizens who visited the screening clinic at the Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul are being tested for COVID-19. /Photo = Hankyung DB

As of 9 p.m. on the same day, 2438 (55.04%) of the new confirmed cases were confirmed in the metropolitan area and 16,696 (44.96%) in non-metropolitan areas.

By region, Gyeonggi 1433, Seoul 8951, Incheon 2078, Gyeongnam 2064, Gyeongbuk 1619, Daegu 1339, Chungnam 1328, Busan 1246, Gangwon 1120, Jeonbuk 1070, Ulsan 1054, Chungbuk 1041 The number of confirmed cases was 1006 in Daejeon, 855 in Jeonnam, 853 in Jeju, 818 in Gwangju, and 259 in Sejong.

Meanwhile, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced on the same day that it had confirmed for the first time in Korea BA.2.75 (aka Centaur), which is known to have stronger immune evasion than BA.5, from a patient in his 60s living in Incheon.

As BA.5 spreads rapidly and enters a phase of re-spreading in Korea, there are concerns that the spread of COVID-19 may increase further as BA.2.75, which has a stronger transmission power, occurs.

Reporter Lee Bo-bae, Hankyung.com [e-mail]