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The updates on COVID-19 in Korea as of 18 March
  • Date2020-03-18 19:52
  • Update2020-03-18 19:58
  • DivisionDivision of Risk assessment and International cooperation
  • Tel043-719-7556

 Updates on COVID-19 in Republic of Korea

18 March 2020



As of 0:00, 18 March 2020, a total of 8,413 cases have been confirmed, with 1,540 cases discharged from isolation. Newly confirmed cases are 93 in total.

 

[Table 1. Total confirmed and suspected cases]


Period

(since 3 Jan)

Total

Tested positive

Being tested

Tested negative

Confirmed

Discharged

Isolated

Deceased

As of 0:00

17 March (Tues)

286,716

8,320

1,401

6,838

81

17,291

261,105

As of 0:00

18 March (Wed)

295,647

8,413

1,540

6,789

84

16,346

270,888

Differences

+8,931

+93

+139

-49

+3

-945

+9,783


 



Regional distribution of confirmed cases:


[Table 2. Imported confirmed cases by region]


 

 

City

Total

Seoul

Busan

Daegu

Incheon

Gwangju

Daejeon

Ulsan

Sejong

Isolated

6,789

215

48


5,038

27


11

18

21

41


Discharged

1,540


55

58

1,048

5

6

4

9

0

Deceased

84

0

1

58

0

0

0

0

0

Subtotal

8,413

270

107

6,144

32

17

22

30

41

(Change)

(93)

(5)

-

(46)

(1)

(1)

-

(2)

(1)

 

Province

Other

Gyeonggi

Gangwon

Chung

-buk

Chung-

nam

Jeon

-buk

Jeon

-nam

Gyeong-buk

Gyeong-nam

Jeju

Airport screening

Isolated

215


21

27

102


4


3


922


63

2


11


Discharged

59

8

5

16

5

2

235

23

2

0


Deceased

3

1

0

0

0

0

21

0

0

0

Subtotal

277

30

32

118

9

5

1,178

86

4

11

(Change)

(15)

(1)

(1)

(3)

(2)

(1)

(9)

-

-

(5)

 


[Table 3. Confirmed cases by region]


 

Region

# of cases

(%)

Incidence rate (per 0.1M)

Region

# of cases

(%)

Incidence rate (per 0.1M)


Seoul

270

(3.21)

2.77

Gyeonggi

277

(3.29)

2.09

Busan

107

(1.27)

3.14

Gangwon

30

(0.36)

1.95

Daegu

6,144

(73.03)

252.17

Chungbuk

32

(0.38)

2.00

Incheon

32

(0.38)

1.08

Chungnam

118

(1.40)

5.56

Gwangju

17

(0.20)

1.17

Jeonbuk

9

(0.11)

0.50

Daejeon

22

(0.26)

1.49

Jeonnam

5

(0.06)

0.27

Ulsan

30

(0.36)

2.62

Gyeongbuk

1,178

(14.00)

44.24

Sejong

41

(0.49)

11.98

Gyeongnam

86

(1.02)

2.56

Airport

11

(0.13)

-

Jeju

4

(0.05)

0.60

 

 

 

 

Total

8,413

(100)

16.23


Epidemiological links have been found for 80.2% of the total cases; 19.8% are either under investigation or sporadic cases. More details on the epidemiological links within each province or city are shown in Table 4. Distribution of the cases by sex and age groups are as indicated in Table 5. A graph of imported cases by period and region of origin is provided in Figure 1.

 

 

A current total of 55 confirmed cases have been reported from a church (Grace River Church) in Gyeonggi Province since 9 March. Further investigation and contact tracing are underway.

 

A current total of 31 confirmed cases have been reported from a healthcare facility (Bundang Jesaeng Hospital) in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province since 5 March. Further investigation and contact tracing are underway

 

In Daegu, testing is being conducted for every person at high-risk facilities such as nursing homes. A current total of 74 confirmed cases (57 patients, 17 staff) have been reported from Hansarang Convalescent Hospital in Seo-gu, Daegu City, and 13 other confirmed cases have been reported from other nursing homes in the city. Further epidemiological investigation and control measures are underway.

 

In light of the recent rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East region, as well as the rise in the number of imported cases both from airport quarantine and in communities, the KCDC announced that the Special Entry Procedure will be extended to all travelers arriving at port beginning at 0:00 of 19 March. Upon entering Korea, all travelers will be required to respond to a questionnaire, get checked for fever, provide a domestic address and confirmed contact information at port entry, and report their symptoms daily for the next 14 days via the self health check mobile app (“Self-Diagnosis”) on their mobile device. Travel histories of all travelers entering Korea will be provided to healthcare providers via the International Traveler Information System for reference. The names of all entrants will be provided to local public health centers for a more active monitoring of potential imported cases for the first 14 days upon their arrival.

 

The KCDC strongly recommended canceling or delaying of all international travel on non-urgent matters. Persons who are unable to avoid traveling out of the country for a critical reason are advised to refrain from visiting any closed facilities or healthcare facilities, and voluntarily disclose any symptoms and their international travel history upon returning to Korea and follow appropriate guidelines and instructions.

 

In light of the continued emergence of outbreaks in health facilities and church clusters, the KCDC stressed the importance of strengthening prevention management for such community facilities. The KCDC urged people to refrain from attending crowded places or religious gatherings and recommended that workplaces actively encourage and enable employees to work remotely from home.

 

The KCDC again reminded everyone that personal hygiene and social distancing practices are effective measures to prevent infections. Any person who suspect onset COVID-19 symptoms are advised to call the KCDC call center (1339) or local call centers (area code + 120), ask a local public health center, or visit a screening facility, before visiting a regular healthcare provider directly. All persons who visit a screening center should wear a mask and drive their own car if possible.

 



[Table 4. Regional distribution and epidemiological links of the confirmed cases]


Region

Sub-

total

Epidemiological links

Others*

Newly confirmed

#

(%)

Details

Seoul

270

203

(75.2%)

Guro-gu call center (82), Dongan Church-Internet Cafe (19), Eunpyeong St Mary’s Hospital (14), Seongdong-gu Apartments (13), Jongno-gu (10), Shincheonji (6), etc.

67

(24.8%)

5

Busan

107

75

(70.1%)

Onchun Church (32), Shincheonji (8), Suyeong-gu Kindergarten (5), Haeundae-gu Jangsan Catholic Church (4), Jin-gu private academy (4), Daenam Hospital (1), etc.

32

(29.9%)

0

Daegu

6,144

5,026

(81.8%)

Shincheonji (4,363), contacts of confirmed cases (661), Daenam Hospital (2)

1,118

(18.2%)

46

Incheon

32

27

(84.4%)

Guro-gu call center (19), contacts of confirmed cases (5), Shincheonji (2), existing imported cases (1)

5

(15.6%)

1

Gwangju

17

14

(81.4%)

Shincheonji (9), contacts of confirmed cases (4), existing imported cases (1)

3

(18.6%)

1

Daejeon

22

12

(54.5%)

contacts of confirmed cases (8), Shincheonji (2), Seosan research center (2)

10

(45.5%)

0

Ulsan

30

23

(76.7%)

Shincheonji (16), contacts of confirmed cases (7)

7

(23.3%)

2

Sejong

41

38

(92.7%)

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (29), gym facilities (8), Shincheonji (1)

3

(7.3%)

1

Gyeonggi

277

227

(81.9%)

Seongnam Grace River Church (50), Guro-gu call center-Bucheon Saeng Myeong Su Church (34), Shincheonji (28), Bundang Je-saeng Hospital (28), Suwon Saeng Myeong Saem Church (10), etc.

50

(18.1%)

15

Gangwon

30

21

(70.0%)

Shincheonji (20), gym facilities in Cheonan (1)

9

(30.0%)

1

Chung-
buk

32

28

(87.5%)

Shincheonji (10), Goesan-gun Jangyeon-myeon (11), contacts of confirmed cases (7)

4

(12.5%)

1

Chung-
nam

118

112

(94.9%)

Gym facilities in Cheonan (103), research center in Seosan (8), Seongnam Grace River Church (1)

6

(5.1%)

3

Jeon-buk

9

4

(44.4%)

Contacts of confirmed cases (2), existing imported cases (1), Shincheonji (1)

5

(55.6%)

2

Jeon-
nam

5

4

(80.0%)

Shincheonji (1), existing imported cases (1), contacts of confirmed cases (2)

1

(20.0%)

1

Gyeong-
buk

1,178

850

(72.2%)

Shincheonji (517), Cheongdo Daenam Hospital (119), Bonghwa Pureun Nursing Home (60), pilgrimage to Israel (49), Milal Shelter (27), Gyeongsan Seorin Nursing Home (24), Gyeongsan Jeil Silver Town (17), Gyeongsan Cham Joeun Community Center 18), etc.

328

(27.8%)

9

Gyeong-
nam

86

70

(81.4%)

Shincheonji (32), Geochang Church (10), Geochang Woongyang-myeon (8), Hanmaeum Changwon Hospital (7), Changyeong coin karaoke (7), contacts of confirmed cases (4), Busan Oncheon Church (2)

16

(18.6%)

0

Jeju

4

-

-

 

4

(100.0%)

0

Airport

11

11

(100.0%)

Imported cases (11)

-

-

5

Total

8,413

6,745

(80.2%)

Shincheonji 5,016 cases (59.6%)

1,668

(19.8%)

93

* Not classified into a cluster or under investigation

The interim classification is based on the reporting location, which may change depending on further epidemiological investigation.


[Table 5. Distribution of the cases by sex and age groups]


 

Confirmed cases

# (%)

Deaths

# (%)

Fatality rate %

Total

8,413

(100.0)

84

(100.0)

1.00

Sex

Male

3,240

(38.51)

45

(53.57)

1.39

Female

5,173

(61.49)

39

(46.43)

0.75

Age

Group

80 and above

286

(3.40)

31

(36.90)

10.84

70-79

542

(6.44)

29

(34.52)

5.35


60-69

1,059

(12.59)

16

(19.05)

1.51

50-59

1,615

(19.20)

6

(7.14)

0.37


40-49

1,171

(13.92)

1

(1.19)

0.09

30-39

873

(10.38)

1

(1.19)

0.11


20-29

2,342

(27.84)

0

(0.00)

-


10-19

438

(5.21)

0

(0.00)

-


0-9

87

(1.03)

0

(0.00)

-


 

 

[Figure 1. Imported confirmed cases by region of origin]


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