Double-Digit Daily Cases... Emergency Bed Shortage in Non-Metropolitan Areas Too

Operation Rate of Residential Treatment Centers Reaches 95.2% in Chungcheong Region and 85% in Gyeongbuk Region

The momentum of the 4th wave of COVID-19 is intensifying. While around 1,000 patients are being reported in the metropolitan area, the number of confirmed cases in non-metropolitan regions has also risen to the 400s, showing signs of nationwide spread. On the 16th, the domestic terminal at Gimpo Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, was bustling with travelers. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] As the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases rapidly increases in non-metropolitan areas, concerns over a shortage of hospital beds are growing. In particular, securing residential treatment centers for asymptomatic and mild patients has become urgent.

According to the Central Disease Control Headquarters on the 16th, as of midnight, double-digit patient cases are emerging in non-metropolitan regions such as Gyeongnam with 79 cases, Daejeon and Busan with 49 cases, Chungnam with 38 cases, and Daegu with 32 cases. Accordingly, resolving the shortage of hospital beds has become an urgent task in areas like Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Chungcheong. With a large number of confirmed cases daily, waiting times for admission of some mild patients are occurring.

According to the Central Accident Response Headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, there are a total of 49 residential treatment centers nationwide, currently housing 8,081 patients with an operation rate of 69.9%. The operation rate in the metropolitan area is 71%, with 2,938 beds available. Among these, the operation rate of 32 residential treatment centers run by local governments in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon was recorded at 68.1%.

Only 8 Available Beds in Chungcheong Residential Treatment Centers... Concerns Over Poor Medical Systems in Local Governments

Non-metropolitan areas that have only one or two residential treatment centers have recently seen a sharp rise in operation rates, with some places no longer able to accept patients. In the Chungcheong area, residential treatment centers with a capacity of 168 patients already house 160 patients, recording an operation rate of 95.2%. Only 8 beds remain available, and the operation rate is expected to reach 100% soon.

In the Gyeongbuk area, residential treatment centers have a capacity of 120 patients with 102 currently admitted, resulting in an 85% operation rate, leaving room for only 18 more patients. Kwon Young-jin, mayor of Daegu, expressed concern the day before, saying, "The quarantine situation is very severe," and "Considering the current spread trend, there may be problems with shortages of hospital beds and residential treatment centers."

In some regions, dedicated beds for treating severe COVID-19 patients are also filling up rapidly. For dedicated beds for severe patients, Daejeon, Sejong, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, and Jeju each have only single-digit availability left, increasing the burden for potential additional patient cases. In the past week (as of the 14th), the average daily discharge was 484 patients in metropolitan residential treatment centers and 532 nationwide.

Professor Cheon Eun-mi of Ewha Mokdong Hospital said, "If the current epidemic situation continues, bed saturation is imminent," adding, "The epidemic scale may grow larger after the peak vacation season in late July and early August, so thorough preparation is necessary, especially in some local governments with poor medical systems."

The Central Accident Response Headquarters stated, "We are continuously promoting the opening of additional residential treatment centers to respond to the increase in confirmed cases," and "We also plan to designate additional dedicated beds for severe patients nationwide and semi-intensive care beds for patients who may worsen to severe conditions."

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