President Moon: "Step 3 Should Be Carefully Reviewed While Observing the Effects of Step 2 Elevation" (Comprehensive)

Visit to National Medical Center, COVID-19 Metropolitan Area Bed Inspection... Urging Management of Severe Patient Beds and Prompt Treatment

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in expressed that the escalation to social distancing level 3 regarding the 'Novel Coronavirus Infection (COVID-19)' should be carefully reviewed after observing the effects of the escalation to level 2.

On the 28th, President Moon made these remarks during his visit to the National Medical Center in Seoul and the 'COVID-19 Metropolitan Area Bed Joint Response Site.' President Moon said, "It takes several days for the effects of the level 2 escalation to appear," and added, "Many citizens are cooperating with the government's quarantine measures with tension and are voluntarily refraining from going out."

Jung Ki-hyun, director of the National Medical Center, explained regarding the issue of escalating to level 3, "Raising the level is a matter that must consider both whether the country's critical care system is properly established and non-medical aspects together; it is not something decided solely based on the number of confirmed cases, which is the general consensus among experts."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Director Jung emphasized, "Currently, unlike other countries, we are not considering lockdowns even with more than 10,000 or several thousand cases," and stated, "This is an issue to be resolved through social consensus, and it is absolutely not a matter to be decided simply by the number of confirmed cases." This means that the escalation to level 3 should be judged comprehensively.

This aligns with President Moon's opinion that the decision should be carefully reviewed after observing the effects of the level 2 escalation.

President Moon focused on the growing concerns about bed shortages as COVID-19 cases increase mainly in the metropolitan area. Joo Young-soo, chief of staff at the National Medical Center, explained, "It does not seem to be increasing so rapidly, and judging from the current situation, it appears to be at a manageable level, so we are proceeding with plans to operate within the currently available beds without difficulty."

Lee Chang-jun, head of the Patient Bed Management Team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said, "The issue with general beds might be largely resolved by enhancing the capabilities of life treatment centers or general management."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Chang-jun, head of the Patient Bed Management Team, explained, "The problem with securing beds for severe patients is less about the beds themselves and more about the absolute shortage of specialists and critical care nurses who can care for critically ill patients," adding, "The shortage of personnel is a bigger issue."

Director Jung Ki-hyun urged a cautious approach to claims that critically ill patients died without receiving treatment. He said, "Generalizing such claims can distort the entire system," and added, "The quarantine and medical treatment systems are well connected and tightly networked, so it is inappropriate to overinterpret the situation."

President Moon requested, "For critically ill patients who meet the criteria, please ensure they are prioritized for transfer to critical care beds so that no one dies without having the opportunity to receive proper treatment." Ko Eun-sil, head of the Central Emergency Medical Situation Room, responded, "Patient classification and rapid bed allocation are crucial first steps to efficiently utilize the remaining beds, so we are paying close attention to that."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Director Ko Eun-sil added, "In cases where patients worsen at life treatment centers, designated linked hospitals are prepared for immediate transfer," and further stated, "For the most severe patients who might be difficult to accommodate, we operate a transfer support situation room to enable inter-hospital transfers."

Meanwhile, President Moon moved to the Metropolitan Area COVID-19 Joint Response Situation Room to encourage the public officials dispatched on site. President Moon said, "We have been fighting the war against COVID-19 for over seven months now, and you have all worked very hard during this time," and added, "We must quickly manage the situation and move toward a stable phase."

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