South Korea’s numbers of Covid-19 infections saw a record daily spike from the previous day as 851 new cases boosted Tuesday’s nationwide total to 5,186.
The biggest day-on-day increase had previously been 813, on Saturday. So far, there have been 29 deaths from the disease in South Korea.
Also on Tuesday, Japan saw 274 cases.
South Korean confirmed Covid-19 cases
January 20: First case
Tuesday, February 18: Woman connected to Shincheonji Church tests positive
Wednesday, February 19: Total 51 cases.
Thursday, February 20: New cases: 53. Total 104
Friday, February 21: New cases: 100. Total 204
Saturday, February 22: New cases: 229. Total 433
Sunday, February 23: New cases: 169. Total 602
Monday, February 24: New cases: 231. Total 833
Tuesday, February 25: New cases: 144. Total: 977
Wednesday, February 26: New cases: 284. Total: 1261
Thursday, February 27: New cases: 505. Total: 1,766
Friday, February 28: New cases: 571.Total: 2,337
Saturday, February 29: New cases: 813. Total: 3,150
Sunday, March 1: New cases: 586. Total: 3,736
Monday, March 2: New cases: 549. Total: 4,335
Tuesday, March 3: New cases: 851. Total: 5,186
Data: Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Note: The above chart is collated from figures released at close of business, daily.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting Tuesday, President Moon Jae-in said: “The whole country has entered a war against the infectious disease.”
However, while there are now Covid-19 cases in all the country’s provinces and cities, most cases are concentrated in the southeast.
Kwon Jun-wook, deputy head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said in a televised briefing that 90% of Covid-19 patients nationwide are in Daegu and its surrounding province. And of the cases in the area, about 66% are followers of the controversial Shincheonji Church.
Roughly 126,000 have so far been tested nationwide, Kwon added.