S. Korea reports over 300 COVID-19 cases, first time in almost three months
Arirang News
2020-11-18
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국내 코로나 확진자 300명 이상으로 치솟아.. 사회적 거리두기 2단계로 격상하나?
Our starting point tonight: The largest daily jump in Covid-19 infections in nearly three months here in South Korea.
With 313 reported today, ICU beds have reached near 80-percent capacity and some medical experts believe we're in the beginning stage of a third wave.
Kim Yeon-seung leads our coverage tonight.
South Korea on Wednesday reported 313 cases, 245 of which were local transmissions.
This is the highest spike since late August when the country reported 323 cases.
Hospitals are feeling the pinch of this sudden increase in cases.
ICU beds have reached almost 80-percent capacity, leaving only 119 intensive care beds available.
The bed shortage is most acute in the greater Seoul area, Gangwon-do province, and Jeollanam-do province.
Some experts are even saying that South Korea is at the start of a third wave of the outbreak.
"There have been a total of three infection waves. The one in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, the outbreak in August, and the outbreak now. The latest infections are taking a toll on the medical capacity, so it's apt to see the current situation as the third wave."
181 of the Wednesday's local transmissions were from the greater Seoul area.
Seoul city alone saw 91 cases.
Recent clusters in the capital include a sports facility in Seongdong-gu district, a sauna in Seocho-gu district, and a hiking club.
Research centers for Samsung Electronics in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Province and LG Electronics in Seoul also each reported one of their workers had tested positive.
The sporadic cluster infections have prompted health authorities to take action.
Starting from Thursday midnight, the capital region will be subject to a tightened level 1-point-5 measure.
But some say this won't be enough.
"The current level 1-point-5 response won't have a significant effect unless the people themselves act as if levels are at level 2 or higher. I think we should seriously consider raising measures to level 2 soon, like in a week or so."
Experts say that an outbreak in the capital is especially dangerous as the region is home to more than half of South Korea's population, and the virus could spread quickly through the densely populated region.
Kim Yeon-seung, Arirang News
Our starting point tonight: The largest daily jump in Covid-19 infections in nearly three months here in South Korea.
With 313 reported today, ICU beds have reached near 80-percent capacity and some medical experts believe we're in the beginning stage of a third wave.
Kim Yeon-seung leads our coverage tonight.
South Korea on Wednesday reported 313 cases, 245 of which were local transmissions.
This is the highest spike since late August when the country reported 323 cases.
Hospitals are feeling the pinch of this sudden increase in cases.
ICU beds have reached almost 80-percent capacity, leaving only 119 intensive care beds available.
The bed shortage is most acute in the greater Seoul area, Gangwon-do province, and Jeollanam-do province.
Some experts are even saying that South Korea is at the start of a third wave of the outbreak.
"There have been a total of three infection waves. The one in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, the outbreak in August, and the outbreak now. The latest infections are taking a toll on the medical capacity, so it's apt to see the current situation as the third wave."
181 of the Wednesday's local transmissions were from the greater Seoul area.
Seoul city alone saw 91 cases.
Recent clusters in the capital include a sports facility in Seongdong-gu district, a sauna in Seocho-gu district, and a hiking club.
Research centers for Samsung Electronics in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do Province and LG Electronics in Seoul also each reported one of their workers had tested positive.
The sporadic cluster infections have prompted health authorities to take action.
Starting from Thursday midnight, the capital region will be subject to a tightened level 1-point-5 measure.
But some say this won't be enough.
"The current level 1-point-5 response won't have a significant effect unless the people themselves act as if levels are at level 2 or higher. I think we should seriously consider raising measures to level 2 soon, like in a week or so."
Experts say that an outbreak in the capital is especially dangerous as the region is home to more than half of South Korea's population, and the virus could spread quickly through the densely populated region.
Kim Yeon-seung, Arirang News
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