Concerns Over Bed Shortages Grow Amid Daily Surge in Confirmed Cases... Severe Patient Bed Occupancy Rate at 48.9%

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the spread of COVID-19 intensifies domestically, with daily confirmed cases ranging from 2,000 to 3,000, concerns over a shortage of hospital beds are growing. Currently, the occupancy rate of beds dedicated to severe patients is about 48.9%, with approximately 500 dedicated beds reportedly still available.

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) on the 26th, as of 5 p.m. the previous day, the occupancy rate of beds dedicated to severe patients nationwide was 48.9% (477 out of 976 beds in use). Among the dedicated beds equipped with the necessary equipment and personnel for treating severe patients, 499 beds are currently vacant. The metropolitan area, where 70-80% of recent confirmed cases are concentrated, is already reported to have an occupancy rate exceeding 50%.

In Seoul, 182 out of 333 beds (54.7%) are in use, leaving 151 beds available for immediate admission of severe patients. Gyeonggi Province (97 beds) and Incheon (37 beds) still have some bed capacity, but there are concerns about shortages if confirmed cases continue to occur.

The situation is more severe outside the metropolitan area. Looking only at beds dedicated to severe patients, regions such as Chungnam (8 beds), Jeju (7 beds), Jeonnam (6 beds), Daejeon (4 beds), Gyeongbuk (3 beds), and Sejong (2 beds) have single-digit numbers of available beds, raising concerns about shortages if confirmed cases surge in the future.

The semi-intensive care beds for patients whose condition has improved from severe or who are at high risk of worsening to severe are similarly limited. In the Seoul and Gyeonggi areas, only 41 and 39 semi-intensive care beds remain, respectively. In Incheon, 21 out of 23 secured beds are in use, leaving only 2 beds available for admission. Notably, Jeonbuk (all 8 beds in use) and Gyeongbuk (all 2 beds in use) have no vacant beds at all.

As confirmed cases increase sharply, the occupancy rate of residential treatment centers, where mild or asymptomatic confirmed patients are isolated, is also approaching 60%. Nationwide, the occupancy rate of 87 residential treatment centers (with a capacity of 19,517 people) was recorded at 59.4% as of midnight on the day. The metropolitan area’s residential treatment centers can admit an additional 3,903 people, while non-metropolitan centers can admit 4,023 more.

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