"Shortage of COVID-19 Hospital Beds Leads to Hotel Use? ... 'Unsuitable for Quarantine'"

Among 4,006 Confirmed Cases in Daegu, 2,270 Await Hospitalization
Facilities Insufficient for Patients... Corporate Training Centers Also Limited
Discussion on Using Gyeongju Hotels as Residential Treatment Centers
However, Quarantine Difficulties and Negotiations with Gyeongju City and Hotels Still 'Pending'

On the afternoon of the 28th of last month, personnel wearing protective suits are heading to work at Keimyung University Daegu Dongsan Hospital in Jung-gu, Daegu, where isolation beds for confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) have been prepared. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is rapidly increasing, it was reported on the 4th that Daegu City is considering using hotels as isolation facilities for mild confirmed patients. However, there are also criticisms that hotels are unsuitable due to structural difficulties in quarantine management and strong local opposition.

Daegu City announced the day before that it secured The-K Hotel (212 rooms) located in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, as a residential treatment center. Residential treatment centers are facilities for mild patients who have been confirmed with COVID-19 but are waiting for hospitalization at home due to a shortage of hospital beds. As of midnight on that day, 2,270 out of 4,006 confirmed cases in Daegu were waiting for their turn to be hospitalized at home or elsewhere.

With 400 to 500 new confirmed cases added daily, Daegu City is considering using hotels located in the Gyeongbuk area as well, as it is difficult to operate residential treatment centers only with corporate training centers and educational facilities. Mayor Kwon Young-jin said in a regular briefing that morning in response to related questions, "If we cannot secure training centers or similar places, we may use hotels as residential treatment centers."

However, there are considerable opinions that hotels are unsuitable as facilities to manage confirmed patients because quarantine is not easy. Hotels typically have lobbies connected to guest rooms where patients stay, making it difficult to separate patients from management personnel.

Mayor Kwon also explained, "Usually, about 70 to 80 management personnel are needed to operate one facility," adding, "The biggest problem with hotels is that (patients and) management personnel have to be in the same building."

There is also a mismatch with the hotels and the local governments involved. Although Daegu City announced that it secured The-K Hotel in Gyeongju, the hotel reportedly stated, "We have not been notified." Gyeongju City also said that although several places within its jurisdiction are being considered as candidates for residential treatment centers, no decisions have been made yet.

Accordingly, Daegu City is reportedly setting a policy to prioritize securing corporate training centers and the like. Mayor Kwon said, "Many patients are emerging, but we need to decide whether we really have to use hotels," adding, "We decided to prioritize facilities where management personnel and patients can be separated from a quarantine perspective."

Meanwhile, the city decided to hospitalize 288 people at Daegu Medical Center and National Masan Hospital and admit 209 people to the Samsung Yeongdeok Training Center residential treatment center. In addition, among the confirmed patients waiting for hospitalization, those with severe symptoms will be admitted to the National Military Daegu Hospital on the 5th, and about 30 patients classified as severe will be transferred to hospitals in Gyeonggi Province on the same day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.