Prime Minister Jeong: "Concerns Over Bed Shortage in the Capital Area... Easing Admission and Discharge Criteria for Confirmed Cases"

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 24th, "As community transmission continues to spread, the fatigue of medical staff is increasing, and the burden on medical resources is growing," adding, "Especially with the increase in elderly patients, there is concern about the shortage of intensive care beds in the Seoul metropolitan area."

On the same day, Prime Minister Chung presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting for COVID-19 response held at the Government Seoul Office and stated, "As we experienced in Daegu last February, there must never be a situation where patients cannot receive proper treatment due to a lack of beds."

Prime Minister Chung emphasized, "To prepare for a possible second large-scale outbreak, which may come at any time, we must focus on protecting the lives of the people by utilizing precious medical resources as efficiently as possible."

He mentioned, "The Central Clinical Committee has recommended easing the current strict admission and discharge criteria based on clinical experience and international standards, and proposed efficient bed management measures. By concentrating medical resources on treating high-risk patients, we can minimize not only deaths but also socioeconomic costs."

He then ordered, "The quarantine authorities should promptly implement improvement measures in consultation with medical institutions on the ground."

Regarding the case where 17 crew members on a Russian-flagged vessel docked at Busan Port were simultaneously confirmed positive for COVID-19, Prime Minister Chung instructed, "The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and quarantine authorities should review the port quarantine system once again to ensure there are no issues and immediately take necessary corrective actions to prevent recurrence of similar cases."

Prime Minister Chung expressed, "Contrary to expectations that the spread would slow down in summer, COVID-19 is continuously spreading worldwide regardless of the season. Some experts are also warning about the possibility of a second wave. Until the day we win the war against COVID-19, the government and the people must remain vigilant and united to achieve victory."

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